Tag Archives: reputation

Crisis Management, , , , , , , , , ,
Papa Johns

Since founding Papa John’s in the back of his father’s bar in 1984, John Schnatter has built his business into a leading international pizza delivery chain. Its reputation for customer service, quality and value has fueled that growth and distinguished it from competitors like Domino’s and Pizza Hut.

Papa John’s has deftly built and maintained that reputation, but recently there have been challenges. The first challenge occurred earlier this year, when a racial slur on a receipt at Harlem Papa John’s went viral.  Papa John’s quickly stepped in to protect its image. Just a day after the offensive receipt appeared online, the chain took to Twitter and Facebook to apologize and announce that the employee responsible had been fired.

Politics and Pizza

The pizza chain has been less successful in its response to the more complex controversy surrounding Schnatter’s own comments about the Affordable Care Act. Discussing his view of the health care law over the summer and after the presidential election, Schnatter drew extensive media coverage and triggered both positive and negative reactions on social media. He attempted to clarify what he had said in a Huffington Post blog post, but his explanation doesn’t appear to have succeeded in swaying public perception or distancing the Papa John’s brand from such a heated political issue. A recent YouGov BrandIndex report found that the controversy has negatively impacted the chain’s reputation. Chicago journalist Edward McClelland may have said it best: “Everyone eats pizza. And when you’re trying to sell a product to everyone, it’s not smart to alienate the 51 percent who voted for a winning presidential candidate.”

Papa John’s doesn’t need to look further than its own recent successes for a strategy that might help repair its reputation. In 2008, after drawing ire and boycott threats from Cleveland Cavaliers fans for t-shirts that insulted NBA star LeBron James, Papa John’s made up for it by selling pizzas to Cleveland residents for just 23 cents and donating to the Cavaliers Youth Fund. That approach earned the chain one of PRSA’s Silver Anvil Awards for Crisis Communications. Americans may clash when it comes to sports teams and politics, but, to borrow from the quote above, everyone eats pizza.

 
 
Branding, Reputation Case Study, Social Media, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sallie Krawcheck is a top candidate to become the next head of the SEC, according to Dealbook, but it’s not just her record and resilience as a Wall Street executive that’s put her in the running.

Since she began tweeting last spring, Krawcheck has gained more than 11,000 followers. On LinkedIn she’s attracted an even larger audience—75,000 and counting. “She has drawn a significant following with her conversational style and posts on investment issues,” Dealbook says, referring to an earlier article in which Krawcheck called her move “part of a larger effort to style herself as an industry analyst” and “lend her Wall Street experience to the broader debate about the industry’s evolution.” Already among LinkedIn’s top “Thought Leaders” and Business Insider’s “101 Finance People You Have To Follow On Twitter,” she’s clearly had a great deal of success with her strategy.

Social Media Savvy

A big part of that success comes from Krawcheck’s deft use of social media to take ownership of her image and message. In the past, she would have had to rely on a public relations intermediary to arrange interviews and keep her name out there, as many prominent figures do. However, she has used social media to take more direct control of her voice and reach a larger audience at the same time. In a recent RIABiz.com article Dina Hampton examines how Krawcheck “used those months of technical unemployment to cultivate a distinct and intimate online voice that may, industry watchers say, deftly position her for her next move.” Speaking to Hampton, Gregory FCA Communications’ Joe Anthony adds that Krawcheck’s strategy has “broadened her footprint to where more people are recognizing her beyond the financial services space” and “gone from being seen as a sharp mind within wealth management/banking to a thought leader and business titan.”

While she may describe herself in her Twitter profile as a “current mom” and “crazed UNC basketball fan,” a closer look at Krawcheck’s online presence shows that her approach is far from amateur. In addition to regularly sharing useful links and poignant thoughts on both Twitter and LinkedIn, she has self-published popular posts like “Lessons Learned in Leading During a Crisis” and “What I Learned When I Got Fired (the First Time)” and penned op-eds for outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Politico.

Those posts have given her a chance to share her own perspective and narrative regarding her previous experience, while the op-eds appear to be setting the stage for her next move. “Lately Krawcheck has been peppering the media with her thoughts and strong recommendations about how to address, if not solve, the gigantic, chronic, almost genetic, ills of the global financial industry,” The Daily Beast’s Allan Dodds Frank wrote in October. “If she can continue her nonpartisan stance,” Frank observed, “she might be the ideal person to be in charge of consumer protection, be nominated to the Securities & Exchange Commission or to a Treasury Department job.”

Setting the Stage

Her undergraduate degree at the UNC School of Journalism has likely helped Krawcheck communicate effectively, but perhaps more important is how she has applied the same strategies that made her one of Wall Street’s top female executives to her social media endeavors. “The secrets of Krawcheck’s success, however, hinge on her social skills,” Heidi N. Moore wrote in 2009, adding that “she has built a reputation as Mrs. Clean” and combined “a warm interest in others’ feelings, an obsession with preparation” and with “frank talk and open ambition.”

Speculation about where she’ll end up next will surely continue, and there’s no guarantee that she’ll be tapped as the next SEC chair. But one thing is certain: as one of the first major names in the banking world to dive headfirst into social media, Sallie Krawcheck has reaped the vast potential of an open and savvy online strategy.

 
 
Online reviews, , , , , , ,

Fake reviews on Yelp and similar sites are an integral part of Internet culture. (Yelp is an online guide to local businesses worldwide. Its listings are based on consumer reviews. Anyone can write them, using their real name or a false one. Over 30 million reviews have been posted since its founding in 2004.)

Yelp is an invaluable research tool for consumers. It is also an important marketing resource for businesses that rely on positive word of mouth to attract customers.

Anyone can post a fake positive review, just as anyone – including the competitor across the street – can post a bad one.  But Yelp allows businesses to create their own profiles with photographs and respond to reviews publicly or privately. That helps level the playing field. It also enables businesses to acknowledge their faults and build relationships with customers who give them bad reviews, should they want to. (A customer who cares enough to take the time to write a bad review may be one who cares enough to give you a second chance. Their critiques can help you make your business a better one.)

Today technology reporter David Streitfeld writes about Yelp’s new strategy for reducing inaccurate listings. Yelp’s action is a signal that the Internet is entering a new development phase: one where the drawbacks of fake reviews are addressed by the platforms that host them.

The more one utilizes the Internet for researching businesses, organizations and people, the more it becomes clear what a game-changer it is in terms of consumer empowerment. Reading Yelp reviews, it is clear that 30% (or, in some cases, all) of the overly effusive ones might be fake and that 30% of the bad reviews (or, in some cases, all) might be due to a bad day on the part of the reviewer. (Or that the reviewer is a competitor.)  The rest provide a middle ground from which readers can draw their own conclusions.  It isn’t perfect, but it is a rich mosaic of opinions which provide us with the best resource for helping make well-informed decisions: each other.  That’s why Yelp’s step forward is a positive one.

 
 
Branding, Reputation Case Study, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jon Rimmerman writes a wry, witty, entertaining daily email extolling the pleasures of wines – recommending some, panning others. “The Pied Piper of Wine” built Garagiste — a $30 million a year wine sales business – after a series of such emails sent to his inner circle attracted fans through word of mouth. (The subscriber list now exceeds 130,000.) After reading about wines he recommends they can order bottles directly from him.

His story illustrates what can result from pairing passion, authenticity (his personality and writing style) and the Internet culture.

Once upon a time, entrepreneurs would spend a year or more planning such a business. They would line up investors. Mortgage the house. Work two jobs while building it. Not anymore. As writer Daniel Duane explained in yesterday’s NYTimes Magazine:

“Garagiste, which gets its name from a French winemaking movement, has not advertised since its creation in 1996. Rimmerman built a Web site only two years ago. Before that, you had to hear about his list through a friend, copy the e-mail address, then send in a polite request to join — analogous, in some ways, to the nightclub without a name, creating desire precisely by its disinterest in attracting you. Even today, the Garagiste Web site — through which you can now sign up for the e-mail list — has no e-commerce function nor even a blog post of Rimmerman’s daily offers. You get the memo or you don’t, and Rimmerman rarely offers the same wine twice.”

Anyone wanting to glean insight into how the online culture is helping to build the independent entrepreneur culture should read Duane’s excellent article. What differentiates Rimmerman’s business from many others is that his newsletter is genuinely written in his voice. Readers trust it – and like it. They know he will not praise wines he is paid to sell, including those with fillers and unappealing chemicals. It is all about authenticity. Authenticity is a key driver in establishing a trustworthy reputation – whether you are an entrepreneur, a politician or a CEO.

 
 
Online reputation management, , ,

This morning, The New York Times published The Global Arbitrage of Online Work,  a BitsBlog column with new survey findings from the two largest online staffing companies. It is sobering reading for anyone who faces competition by a multitude of capable workers around the world.

Mr. Hardy’s conclusion is that having a degree may be helpful, but having a reputation is more important to compete in the online marketplace. The good news is that there are plenty of opportunities to create a strong online brand for yourself and your skill set – whether you are independent or planning for your next career phase. Our guide to online reputation management has many tips for from creating a stronger online image. You can access it here.

 
 
Crisis Management, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Schwarzenegger’s Campaign to Repair His Image

Arnold Schwarzenegger has undertaken a campaign to restore his public image. The central issue the campaign is addressing—and needs to address of course—is last year’s infidelity. Schwarzenegger seems to be taking the best approach to that problem: owning it.

The release of his new memoir, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, suggests the sort of confession and personal reflection that is needed. But in a host of negative reviews the media has judged that attempt unsatisfactory. It “fails to achieve either the depth or the emotional impact that would make us care more deeply about this fascinating public figure,” according to the Washington Post’s Vernon Loeb.

The Toronto Sun offers some excellent advice on how he could have crafted a more effective memoir.

Schwarzenegger’s reputation rehabilitation plan has fared better with the recent launch of his own eponymous political think tank at USC, a move that has helped rebrand him as “a global policy wonk and statesman dedicated to leading America into what he calls a new post-partisan era,” according to the Associated Press’ John Rogers. The American Psychological Association’s Dr. Bernard Luskin explains the relative success of this branch of his strategy to The Christian Science Monitor’s Gloria Goodale: “Arnold will persist with the same aggressive ruthlessness that he has demonstrated with the other obsessive passions in his life,” the American Psychological Association’s Dr. Bernard Luskin tells Ms. Goodale.

Arnold’s Future

There is no broad consensus on how effective Schwarzenegger’s efforts will finally be, but experts tell the Monitor that his comeback could succeed, but it probably won’t restore him to his previous stature. “The public may be willing to forget to some degree but will not forgive—so much as accept—as he attempts to remake himself,” says the APA’s Luskin. Echoing that sentiment, University of Texas, Arlington’s Ben Agger imagines that the former California governor “well be publicly redeemed if he seeks, not elective office, but talk-show host.”

Luskin and other analysts have likened him to Bill Clinton, but Schwarzenegger will need to recognize his own unique strengths and weaknesses to fulfill his goal. A Business Insider article by USC marketing professor Ira Kalb provides a great breakdown of the characteristics and history of his public image. He deftly protected his reputation against previous allegations, Kalb acknowledges, but last year’s scandal dealt it a major blow. “Time will tell if he is successful repairing his image,” Kalb says. “His admissions and apologies are two steps in the right direction, but this is the third time he has employed this approach in public, and it may take more time and a more aggressive charm offensive to pull it off on this go-round.” Schwarzenegger certainly doesn’t lack aggressiveness, but he’ll need the perfect balance of charm to win back the public’s trust and respect.

 
 
Reputation Case Study, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Elon Musk: Deconstructing a Tech Industrialist’s Image

Entrepreneur Elon Musk is a leader in space exploration and founder of the pioneering electric car company Tesla. Yesterday David Brooks explained why Musk represents the best aspect of capitalism.  Brooks was inspired by Bloomberg tech writer Ashlee Vance, whose comprehensive profile of Musk was published a week ago.

Both articles provide insight into the myriad elements that influence how today’s visionaries are perceived. Musk’s public image has been built from such elements as views from friends and colleagues like Silicon Valley venture capitalist Peter Thiel and WebTV co-founder Bruce Leak, skeptical voices on the Tesla Death Watch blog, his frank acknowledgement of two divorces (one in which both he and his ex-spouse blogged about the divorce negotiations), unhappy employees who have filed lawsuits and blogged about Musk’s demanding CEO style (which some say compares to Steve Jobs’), the need to schedule 10 hours a week to dating, and his goal of establishing a colony on Mars within 15 years.

Musk is part of the new era of entrepreneurs using technology to lead the way into a better future. He is self-made and has been involved in launching successful ventures that have gone public, enabling him to fund his current undertakings. Articles on his personal and work life may not be on everyone’s reading list, but they may be the best information investors and entrepreneurs who hope to follow his lead in business can find.

 
 
Crisis Management, , , , ,
The Naked Truth on Prince Harry

It looks like Prince Harry has gotten himself into trouble again. But this is far from a crisis.

Prince Harry is the wit in a sea of English Breakfast tea, the tingling gin and tonic at lunchtime on a humid day.  He has never tried to project an image of being anything but what he is: a rogue. The pictures capture the Prince Harry we know. More of him than we ever expected to see, but nothing, we expect, that will ruin his reputation. (Though it might reduce the number of his official duties….indefinitely.)

Reputation management is ultimately about being authentic.  Prince Harry’s Las Vegas vacation may not be representative of Royal tradition, but he has never been traditional. Even Royals are human; Harry, especially so.