Rebuilding resilient reputations as we phase out of lockdown: Four lessons from research across the globe

Photo source: Unsplash

“What the world needs now is solidarity. With solidarity we can beat the virus and build a better world,” ~ United Nations.

Reputation Matters, a proudly African firm that focuses on reputation research, has embarked on a research study to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research focussed specifically on the impact that the pandemic had on business communication and how people have been affected on an individual, company and country level. The results, which are presented in a series of free online sessions this week, highlights the importance of crisis communication and having a communication policy in place before a crisis hits. Apart from the negative economic impact of the pandemic, respondents indicated that they enjoyed spending more time with family and building stronger bonds. Businesses also noted that they were forced to think outside of the box in order to reach their customers. They also indicated that working from a remote office and using technology have delivered a more productive workforce. 

For the first time since the second World War, the Eiffel Tower has been closed for more than 100 consecutive days, major sporting events like the PGA have been cancelled and life as we knew it has come to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As many countries start phasing out their lockdown, people are eager to get back to business.

“With the help of our strategic partner, ECCO International Communications Network and the African Public Relations Association (APRA), the questionnaire was distributed across Africa and translated into French, German and Hungarian to make it accessible across Europe,” says Chanell Kemp, reputation specialist at Reputation Matters, who led the research project. The survey delivered responses from Africa, Asia, Europe, North- and South America. The majority of responses however came from Africa and Europe and the data focused on these two continents. “The main thing that stood out for me is that the world is ready to relook the way we work. Technology has allowed us to work remotely and make better use of our time,” indicates Chris Bischoff, reputation manager, who was part of the project.

Participants were asked what the effects were on their countries, and the majority of respondents, regardless of the country or continent, indicated that the macro-economic effect was devastating. Respondents mentioned the GDP, increases in poverty, loss of revenue and the closures of borders, travel and businesses as the major influencers on a macro-economic level, indicating that  the ‘worst is yet to come’. “Albeit the big effect the lockdown had on all three levels, the positive message that came through from the respondents is one of hope and optimism, with the biggest focus being on family time, relationship building and generally more time for self-reflection” says Nalene de Klerk, reputation manager that was research support on the project.

“The data that we collected was very rich and insightful. There are numerous lessons that we learnt from the research that can help businesses re-establish and rebuild a resilient reputation after the lockdown,” indicates Kemp. Here are four lessons that businesses can focus on, coming out of lockdown:

1. The pandemic changed the way we engage with new and current clients: Communication to employees and customers is more important than ever and businesses need to adapt their marketing and customer relations strategies to take advantage of digital opportunities and new communication platforms.
2. It is important to have a crisis communication plan in place before a crisis takes place: A crisis can only be managed effectively if you plan appropriately. The research indicated that 42% of organisations in Africa did not have a crisis communication plan in place before the pandemic surfaced.
3. The pandemic, and its economic impact, is far from over: Organisations need to have a financial strategy in place to help businesses survive and thrive in the new economy.
4. The pandemic affected everyone, regardless of age, continent or country: The research highlighted the importance of empathy, humanity and unity. Businesses need to share these messages of positivity with the rest of the business community in Africa.

There are even more lessons that surfaced from the research and Reputation Matters is hosting a free online session to give detailed feedback on all the research results. “We want to invite the media and the members of the public to join one of the two sessions this week: Tuesday, 30 June 2020 at 14:00 (RSA) or Thursday, 02 July 2020 at 14:00 (RSA),” concludes Kemp. To be part of this session, please send an email to research@reputationmatters.co.za. Organisations can draw inspiration from the positive aspects that arose from the research, take the lessons learnt and implement it in order to build resilient reputations coming out of lockdown.

For more information on Reputation Matters and to measure your reputation, contact research@reputationmatters.co.za or visit www.reputationmatters.co.za. Follow Reputation Matters on Facebook (@yourreputationmatters) or Twitter (@ReputationIsKey).

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Media Contact:

Chanell Kemp

chanell@reputationmatters.co.za

+27 81 331 0353

Jack of all trades, master of none; is your communication expert a good fit?

Pic source: Unsplash

If you were to handle a lawsuit without the necessary legal advice and council, or audit your own books without the needed skills of a professional, you know that you are setting yourself up for failure. Not investing in professional help in either of these could have a dire impact on your business on so many levels. Communication, if not managed professionally, will also negatively impact your business and you could run the risk of ruining your reputation.

Fortunately, more companies are seeing the benefit of investing in their reputations compared to ten years ago. Unfortunately, there are many charlatans out there that have jumped on the ‘reputation’ band wagon and have taken many organisations for a Public Relations (PR) ride. I honestly can’t blame some companies for being wary about investing in communication / PR agencies; I’ve heard some shocking revelations of what some agencies get away with, with high retainer fees to boot!

Whether or not you are sceptical about engaging in the services of a communication manager, have been dabbling with the thought of getting someone on board, or just wondering whether you are getting the most out of your current service provider, use the pointers below to help find or confirm that you have the right communication fit in your organisation. This will essentially help you to manage and maximise your communication initiatives to ultimately take your reputation to the next level.

What should you look for when selecting a communication consultancy?

Firstly, have an agreed road map:

• Does the agency make an effort to understand your organisation? They need to live the brand to effectively communicate about the organisation. If they are not integrally involved in what you do, how can they successfully communicate to others what you do?
• Do they ask about the business’ goals and is this incorporated into the overall communication goals?
• Is there a clear agreed upon communication vision? Does this feed into the overall business vision?
• How do they bill?  This is quite a grey area, especially as there are no set industry fees and rates. Some agencies bill per hour and allocate a set number of hours to each client. Other prefer to bill per project, while others opt for a retainer fee. Personally, I recommend a monthly retainer fee with very clear deliverables that need to be reported on. Building a reputation takes time, and it is quite tricky to do this if the focus is only on an ad hoc project basis. With a retainer you can have a much longer term view and build a stronger relationship if both parties know where you are heading to and what it is going to take to get there. I do understand that investing in a retainer could be quite daunting especially if you have not had a good experience in the past. Consider negotiating a shorter term engagement and take stock after a couple of months to see what is working, what is not working and readjust where necessary.

Secondly, find out about range of expertise of the agency.

• Are they able to cater for your specific needs? What is tremendously helpful is to give a comprehensive brief of what you require. This will make your life considerably easier when it comes to evaluating the proposals received.
• Find out what their area of expertise is. Many agencies offer a full integrated communication service - be wary of this. Ultimately there will be one area that they are far better at and that they will focus on more. You want a specialist to help you, not a jack of all trades. Collaboration is the name of game; consider a couple of experts in different areas.
• It’s good to find out what experience they have in your particular market and particular disciplines. With that said, if an agency has not worked in a specific industry, don’t let that put you off. A fresh pair of eyes could just be what is needed on a new approach to get your message out there. 

Thirdly, who will be working on the account: resourcing?

There are pros and cons when it comes to investing in a ‘one-man-show’ versus a dedicated team (agency).

When you invest in a consultant, you are investing in receiving their personalised service, unfortunately when they are ill or go on holiday there isn’t a backup team that can help out.

Investing in an agency gives you team support, and you have a group of experts to tap into as opposed to just one person. The snag is that when the proposal gets sent to you, you are promised the highest calibre resources and then once the contract is signed, you are assigned the newest intern to manage your account. You can and need to be quite clear who you would like to work on your account from the beginning.

Regardless of who you select to work with, the most important thing is that there is a good rapport between you and them.

The fourth area to look at is measuring the results.

• Find out what the measurement / return on investment of the service will be. Having clearly defined goals in place helps immensely to make sure that all parties are on the same page and knows what need to be done. You could consider linking a deliverable to a business goal.
• How and when will progress be discussed; a monthly report is highly recommended to keep track of progress, as well as quarterly or annual review.

Finally, the agency’s reputation matters. Make sure that their values resonate with those of your company. Ask for references, and speak to their current and previous clients. Find out whether they belong to the industry body, as there would be a code of ethics that members would agree to. How do well-informed people judge the consultancy? Lastly, do they practice what they preach? Read their work, and also see how they represent themselves in the media.

To recap when it comes to investing in a communication agency:

• Have an agreed road map; align the communication strategy to the business;
• Confirm the range of expertise that the agency has to offer. Would a specialist or jack of all trades work best for you?
• Find out who you will be working with. Make sure that you resonate with the person or team that you end up working with;
• Have clear measurable goals in place to track progress and to measure your return on investment and finally;
• Reputations matter, investigate the agency thoroughly and get feedback from current and previous clients before investing in a long term engagement.

To continue the reputation management conversation, join Regine on Twitter @ReputationIsKey or Facebook www.facebook.com/yourreputationmatters.

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