Reputation

Since 2012, the 4th Tuesday of September is known as National Voter Registration Day. Considering this country was born, in part, over the lack of voting rights, you’d think more of those eligible would vote. Finally, voter registration has its own day, though this year it’s sharing the date with elephants, diaries and white chocolate.

Most of our stories about reputation and trust revolve around companies and organizations. How communicators can build and maintain the trust and reputation of a brand, for example. We’ll throw a changeup here and look at global trust and confidence in nations and their leaders. We found there are several similarities between communicators’ work with commercial brands and countries.

Social media platforms have a lot of work to do in the way of gaining trust from the American public. A recent survey from Pew Research Center shows that “Three-quarters of U.S. adults say technology companies have a responsibility to prevent the misuse of their platforms to influence the 2020 presidential election, but only around a quarter say they are very or somewhat confident in these firms to do so.” 

The NFL debuts its 101st season tonight, minus most of the fans, but not without fanfare. Many wonder how the league, which is not playing in a bubble, will weather a health crisis, as well as social justice issues, which were largely ignored or frowned upon in the past. Flexibility and innovation will remain top priorities for the league, much like in other sports. 

We asked our financial and M&A expert Rick Gould about what PR firm owners should be considering finance-wise during the pandemic. Gould argues that previous financial goals should apply during the pandemic.

United’s decision to abolish change fees may empower consumers’ purchasing options, but also shows a half-hearted attempt at winning those health-conscious customers back. While other airlines may follow suit if United’s decision results in a travel windfall, quality customer service will remain a key strategy.

Any PR is good PR, right? With the arrival of Shark Week, the 32-year-old programming stunt on Discovery, we asked: Is Shark Week good or bad PR for sharks? Sure, the programming features danger and suspense, but also the opportunity for viewers to learn about and gain respect for these majestic creatures. 

When we build a company without brand standards, the result can sound like a person speaking a language we can’t understand.  Unfortunately, neither can customers.  Building standards is akin to creating a language that explains our brand. Unfortunately, sometimes we make this relatively simple process too difficult. A quartet of veteran communicators and marketers break down branding into small segments.

More than a few PR pros theorized that consumers would remember brands’ performance during the pandemic. The newest edition of the Axios-Harris Poll 100 confirms that theory. Grocery chains and pharmacies, among others, earned plaudits from consumers for being able to deliver on their brand promises during the first months of the pandemic.

Some PR pros might be surprised to see analog photography pioneer Kodak—which filed for bankruptcy in 2011—making headlines for technological innovation, but a new contract with the federal government has sent its shares soaring. The company, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2013 and has since transitioned into chemicals production, will be receiving a $765 million loan from the Trump administration to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), some of which are used in coronavirus patient treatments.