Part Two of Two
Your corporation or CEO has done wrong, but if you followed our experts' advice in the first part of this series (PR NEWS, Nov. 4), you've admitted the truth quickly, tried to
discover the root of the problem, designated the best public messengers of the bad news, and set long-term goals for reviving a sullied reputation. It's not over yet.
The next six steps are the longest and hardest: earning public trust. According to Peter Verrengia, co-chair, Fleishman-Hillard's Corporate Credibility Advisory, "The usual
formula for individuals or businesses is regret, reform and restitution - but that formula needs to be applied with care and in the right time."
And because reviving a reputation is a high-level strategic undertaking that involves many elements inside and outside of the company, it requires a quarterback. The PR
executive is in the best position to keep an eye on the ultimate goal, keep the team focused downfield, and know which piece of the plan to deploy when.
Step 7: Make Amends. The gesture does not have to be grandiose or extravagant, says Andrew Gilman, president, Commcore Consulting Group, but it should be appropriate to the
situation and to the culture of the company. In the early 90s, when Saturn had to recall some cars, it gave owners a meal and a carwash when they brought their cars in for the
fix. Not only did this exceed expectations, but it recognized consumer inconvenience and communicated the customer-centric values Saturn professed.
Be a good, rather than a bad example, says Verrengia. For a celebrity caught, um, shoplifting, fighting in court is the worst PR decision, but offering to perform community
service to advise young girls against shoplifting might be the best reputation-builder. In one move it admits the mistake, makes legal restitution, maps out personal reform and
gives back to the community. "Without some offer that benefits someone other than the accused, it is very difficult to drum up meaningful third-party support, and many reputation
defense efforts stall or break apart," Verrengia says.
Step 8: Write Your Own Prescription. Make public specific measures and changes to prevent this happening again. The changes need to be concrete and accountable, such as a new
department, a new title, or a quality assurance step that has not been taken before, says Ron Bottrell, senior consultant, Dome Communications. You can turn a public embarrassment
into a competitive advantage, says Larraine Segil, co-founder, The Lared Group. Focus on the response to the problem to demonstrate the company or individual's ability to self-
diagnose and prescribe specific solutions. In the legendary case of Tylenol tampering, Johnson & Johnson fostered industry-wide change in OTC drug packaging.
Corporations in recovery need to direct energy internally because employees are critical to company rep within the community. Part of the Bridgestone/Firestone effort to
rebound after the notorious Ford Explorer tire blowouts included full court press from the top down: letters from the CEO sent to employee homes, regular email and fax
communications to department heads, and video addresses via intranets. In the process, the tire company discovered an excellent PR tool, sending copies of corporate press releases
to the heads of departments and business units. Middle management "knows what is going on in case the employees ask," says Bridgestone/Firestone VP of Public Affairs Chris
Karbowiak.
Step 9: Find Your Angels. Once a corporate sin has been isolated and measures put in place to correct it, "tap one individual with a pristine reputation and good credibility to
take that message to the public," says Tim O'Brien, principal, O'Brien Communications. Having others outside the company stake their good reputation on your sincere effort to
change is among the more effective ways to regain credibility. In defense of Bridgestone/Firestone's good name, racing legend Mario Andretti (a longstanding Firestone associate)
volunteered to visit nearly 5,000 dealers and vouch for the company's sincerity and product quality.
Step 10: Take a Break. Reform, personal or institutional, takes time. Keeping a low profile for a while before campaigning to get your name back may feel like hiding, but the
alternative is trying to convince a wary public that you have changed your ways overnight. Sometimes taking a break before unveiling a reformed you is more convincing, says
O'Brien. "There has to be a demonstrated effort to change and be the person or organization they should have been in the first place. Often, this takes time." But do keep the
press apprised of progressive changes as they are being made. "That way, when you go public with the 'new and improved' you, it is far more credible."
Step 11: Reconcile with the Press. Getting the press back on your side, or at least making them less antagonistic, is a long-term process of being honest, accessible and
heartfelt in your dealings with them. Putting errant company execs in front of the press for one-on-one interviews may be painful in the short term, says Bottrell, but "but I
think they win points for being willing to take the heat. You win points for openness."
"Building a relationship is not done on the first date," Gilman warns. Most often, it is the PR pro's job within the company to keep the message and tone with the press
consistent, because some executives will give up at the first negative story.
Step 12: Keep Your Nose Clean. Reputation is something you maintain, not achieve, so it is difficult to determine when you have reached your goal in bouncing back. One measure
is ongoing press coverage and whether the scandal or past wrongdoing is mentioned in concert with your name. "It's a way of illustrating we're over the curve on this and onto a
new phase," says Bottrell. "To stay on the path of truth, you have to do it the rest of your life," says Mike Paul, president of MGP & Associates. The reformation has to be
systemic. "If you're just going after an example of failure and not the core, you are just going to get into repetitive failure."
Young vs. Old
When beleaguered execs are bouncing back from bad press, age determines strategy, says Ron Bottrell, senior consultant, Dome Communications. If you're young, the best
vindication is "to land a job running another company and demonstrating success." Tarnished oldsters like Jack Welch might try taking those dollar-a-year jobs with non-profits,
however. "The classic example is Jimmy Carter," who left office in 1980 humiliated but "may be the most successful former President ever based on what he has done in the not-for-
profit sector," Bottrell says.
Our 12-Step Program to Reputation Recovery
- Make Trust Deposits With Public Before a Crisis
- Find the Truth Before Going Public
- Look at the Horizon, Where You Want to Be
- Find the Right Spokespeople
- Try Self-Immolation
- Communicate nothing But the Truth in Public Statements
- Make Amends
- Write Your Own Prescription for Reform
- Find Angels to Vouch for You
- Take a Break from the Public Eye
- Reconcile with the Press
- Keep Your Nose Clean
(Contacts: Ron Bottrell, 312/467-0760; Andrew Gilman, 202/659-4177; Chris Karbowiak, 615/872-1497; Tim O'Brien, 412/854-8845; Michael Paul, 212/595-8500; Larraine Segil,
310/556-1778; Peter Verrengia, 212/453-2218)