Table Of Content

“More than ever, political engagement is vital for businesses as they navigate a complex regulatory environment and seek to manage their reputations. This book captures the need to take that engagement seriously and provides a helpful guide to that important process.” Sir Robbie Gibb, Former Director of Communications at No. 10 Downing Street and Senior Adviser to Kekst CNC “Events around the world confirm almost every day that your organisation’s reputation is something you cannot afford to leave unmanaged. No matter what you are doing, or how you try to keep a low profile or avoid controversy, you cannot leave it to manage itself. What you communicate as a leader, and how you communicate it is critical to maintaining a positive reputation with your stakeholders. This book sets out the latest thinking on how to rise to this challenge and shows how investing in good communications will pay you major reputational dividends.” Alastair McCapra, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Public Relations “The critical importance of reputation to every organisation has never been clearer: it defines success or failure. This book is the definitive analysis of this vital topic by a world-respected communications expert.” Francis Ingham, Director General, Public Relations and Communications Association REPUTATION IN BUSINESS A compelling mix of reputation management, crisis leadership and the role of politics in business, this book provides unique practical steps that leaders can take to protect their reputations and those of the organisations they head in an ever more open social media-led world. Although leaders increasingly recognise the vital intangible asset that reputation represents, too many do not really understand what reputation is and the steps that should be taken to build it and their corporate value. Given the range of factors depending on the organisation, each aspect of its complex reputational story needs to be unpicked if a reputation is to be built, maintained and protected. This step by-step-guide offers advice on how to develop the strategies needed to do this, provides clear lessons throughout from a range of experts – and distinctively, looks beyond the corporate sector to charities, governments, NGOs and the public sector. Boards, trustees, non-executive directors, senior management and leaders of all types of organisations need to consider the steps that should be taken to build, maintain and defend their reputation, and that means knowing what their reputation is and the audiences that matter most to them. This book is the roadmap. Stuart Thomson is a public affairs and communications specialist, published author and blogger. He leads the public affairs consultancy at law frm BDB Pitmans, has appeared on Sky News, BBC 5 Live, BBC World and BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, and has been a judge for the Public Affairs News, PR Week, Public Affairs and the European Public Affairs awards. He was listed as one of the Top 100 Public Affairs Consultants by Total Politics, shortlisted for the Institute of Directors and Chartered Institute of Public Relations Director of the Year award, and won the Best Current Affairs Infuencer category at Vuelio’s Online Infuence Awards 2020. Stuart is also an honorary research fellow at the University of Aberdeen. REPUTATION IN BUSINESS Lessons for Leaders Stuart Thomson Cover image: kokouu (Getty Images) First published 2023 by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 and by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Stuart Thomson The right of Stuart Thomson to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Thomson, Stuart (Public affairs consultant), author. Title: Reputation in business : lessons for leaders / Stuart Thomson. Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. Identifiers: LCCN 2022012829 | ISBN 9781032277509 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032277462 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003293880 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Corporate image. | Corporations--Public relations. | Organizational effectiveness. Classification: LCC HD59.2.T46 2023 | DDC 659.2--dc23/eng/20220317 LC record available at https://lccn. loc .gov /2022012829 ISBN: 9781032277509 (hbk) ISBN: 9781032277462 (pbk) ISBN: 9781003293880 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003293880 Typeset in Joanna by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India This book is dedicated to Alex, Will, Callum and Elenya. But never ignoring Mum, Dad and Iain! CONTENTS Foreword x Introduction 1 1 Reputation building 14 2 Getting ahead of reputation 45 3 The media: A study in pressure 88 4 The charity challenge 119 5 Politics: Best friend or worst enemy? 149 6 Anticipating the attack 171 Conclusions: The ongoing challenge 191 Index 203