Everybody knows corporate reputation is numero uno in today's business ethos - now it's just a matter of getting everybody to care. Doing so is (or should be) the goal
of PR professionals who have the communications know-how to influence the key messaging issues that plague the current corporate culture. In the coming weeks, PR News along
with Delahaye will provide an analysis of different attributes and those companies that do it the best - and the worst - based on visibility in the media and favorability
of coverage.
This week's CEO Profile attribute finds 19 biggies among its ranks. Those that landed in the most desirable "high visibility/high favorability" quadrant saw a significant
amount of positive coverage, thanks in large part to PR execs who had the ear of their CEOs and got him/her out in a positive public light. On the flip side, the most undesirable
"high visibility/low favorability" quadrant highlights, among others, Hewlett-Packard's CEO woes. Based on 2004 coverage, Carly Fiorina was ousted from her post (February
2005) after two years of stagnant earnings and negative publicity, proving the PR managers' value in maintaining positive corporate messaging with the CEO as its conduit.