In the 21st-century economy, strategic communication is vital to business success. The networked information ecosystem created by the internet means that a company with a strong brand identity can reach a global audience. But a successful public relations campaign is not just about a winning message: It requires tools and techniques to manage a company’s reputation in the public eye, an often tricky proposition when communicating across different cultures, languages and technologies.
Are you looking for ways to hone your communication skills and craft effective messaging that can advance your organization’s mission? If so, you might consider the Arkansas State University (A-State) online Master of Science in Strategic Communications with an Emphasis on Global Communications program. A-State’s program focuses on various methods to help professionals translate public opinion into action and messages to keep companies in good standing with audiences worldwide.
What Is Public Opinion?
While there is no single definition of public opinion, Robert Longley, a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience, defines the term as “the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs about a particular topic or issue held by a significant proportion of the total population.” Although public opinion is often associated with citizens’ views of their government, it has broader applications, including in the business world. Notably, public opinion is not static, and changing the public’s perception of a company or brand is a vital tool for strategic communication professionals.
What Is Reputation Management?
To shape public opinion, companies must prepare to manage their reputations online. An article from Internet Reputation, a company that helps clients craft a positive online image, states that “reputation management actively monitors and addresses the public perception and opinions of an individual, organization, or brand. It involves proactively shaping and maintaining a positive image to enhance credibility and trustworthiness.”
Maintaining a positive reputation is vital because, according to HubSpot, a good public image can build strong relationships and increase customer loyalty, driving revenue and growth. Conversely, a negative reputation can hurt sales and diminish loyalty. However, HubSpot also observes that negative feedback “helps you learn about what customers like, which can be helpful for updating business processes to better meet consumer needs.”
How to Improve Reputation Management
Communications leaders have a number of tools for implementing a proactive reputation management plan. Internet Reputation recommends several strategies, including the following:
- Use social media listening tools to “track mentions, comments, and sentiment analysis,” which helps companies identify potential risks to their reputations.
- Rely on surveys, feedback forms and reviews to engage customers and stakeholders.
- Connect with target audiences in online communities and forums to correct misperceptions about a company’s brand.
The social media management service TweetDelete also suggests other methods for helping brands polish their reputation with a global audience. For example, paying close attention to what competitors are doing can help a brand sharpen its public relations strategy. TweetDelete emphasizes the importance of remaining dynamic and flexible: “Brand reputation management is a continuous venture. So keep upgrading your strategy as consumer behavior changes.”
Building Trust in a Global World
A good reputation boils down to trust: Do you have credibility in the eyes of your customer base? As Jules Herd, a brand and communications managing director, writes in Forbes: “In the corporate world, a good reputation is synonymous with trust and credibility.”
There’s no single solution for shifting public opinion. Strategic communication professionals can’t control how audiences react to a company. However, these specialists can leverage the skills taught in A-State’s online M.S. in Strategic Communications – Global Communications program to polish their company’s public image and engage their audiences authentically. By doing so, they will establish bonds of trust that increase customer loyalty and help keep their brand at the top of the global marketplace.
Learn more about Arkansas State University’s online M.S. in Strategic Communications with an Emphasis on Global Communications.