Reputation, Thy Name Is Media
If you think media influence corporate reputations, you didn't just fall off the turnip truck. A new Web-based service from Washington's CARMA imMEDIAte analyzes coverage of
700 major companies in the most widely read publications worldwide. It analysis a company's reputation in the wake of stories about acquisitions, crisis management and
international expansion and pits the media's influence over a particular company's stock prices. All data can be exported to an x-cell spreadsheet. A searchable database stores
more than 30,000 articles.
"We're trying to get a handle on how corporate reputations are molded by the media and what kinds of influence companies have on the media," says Albert Barr , CEO of Carma
imMEDIAte. He cites the following examples:
- Telecom giant Nokia was the top-rated company on Carma's most recent favorability study, in part, because the CEO spends far more time working the press than most high-
profile CEOs.
- Sotheby's topped the list of negative corporate reputations due to heavy
coverage of the auction house's management woes.
Barr describes the service as a great window into the media, analyzing how
high-profile pubs can change editorial focus. Service runs $800 a month. One-week
trials are offered free of charge. (http://www.carmaimmediate.com)
PR NEWS & PRSA are holding "Communications Strategies for Nonprofits & Associations" April 17 at Washington Renaissance (D.C). The event features 15 speakers on
topics including membership communications, advocacy and crisis management. Visit http://www.PRand Marketing.com/seminars or call 888/707-5814.
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Jonah Peretti had no idea that an email he sent off to Nike would snowball into articles in the New York Times and Time magazine and an appearance on "Today." It started when
the MIT grad student ordered customized athletic shoes from Nike.com. He specified the word "sweatshop" be affixed to his Nikes. Alas, Nike emailed back that this word selection
was unacceptable. Peretti then sparred with Nike in a series of emails, pointing out that Nike's reaction was contrary to its "love for freedom and personal expression" trumpeted
in their advertisements. In tete-a-tete with a Nike executive on the Today show, Peretti was surprised to hear the executive's "defensive" stance. Although Nike had the
opportunity to acknowledge labor indiscretions on national TV, the executive seemed more preoccupied with promoting the company's customizable shoes. Peretti says Nike's dodging
made it worse than an admission of guilt. (Peretti, 617/970-5358.)