In today´s volatile world of business, reputation is delicately balanced between growth and responsibility, profits and sustainability, aggressive targets and sound governance. How then can it be built, nurtured, sustained, protected? And how is it influenced by the science of public relations. This blog is my attempt to explore and prompt a dialogue on this subject.
In Latin, Reputare means to reckon or think over. I invite you to read my viewpoint – think it over and respond with yours. The views expressed here are entirely my own and that not in my professional capacity as Chief Executive of Genesis Burson-Marsteller.
This is a moderated blog, only to prevent abuse or misuse; both evangelists and critics are welcome. In this Blog, I will neither praise my clients or criticise those of other firms.
Welcome and join the debate.
February 22nd, 2010The Cinderella Makeover
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A dear friend of mine who runs a boutique reputation management firm sent me a thought-provoking article. She found it so interesting that she actually typed it and sent it out to her friends. To protect her privacy, I am going to keep her identity a secret.
Since she found it so beautiful, I thought I would share this with all of you as this piece breaks some ‘stereotypes’ and Reputare is all about understanding stereotypes as the heart of the discipline of public relations. It’s also a subject that would touch you in some way, someday..in the past or in the future.
Since this came typed to me, I claim no intellectual ownership of this content as my original creation. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have.
THE CINDERELLA MAKEOVER
Is there any space for fairytale romances in love and relationships today? Absolutely. Only the rules have changed ….
As women, we have all grown up with the “Once Upon a time” fairytale. You know the one : “Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a Click to Read More
December 30th, 2009Ruchika Girhotra and Public Opinion
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The Hindustan Times on the front page carried the story of fresh FIRs being filed in the Ruchika Girhotra’s case. The second headline read: 19 Years later charges say Rathore hid evidence, tormented girl’s brother.
It’s not that CBI has had a change of heart or unearthed new evidence or been provided new facts to base its case against Rathore. So what’s changed in the last few weeks after the court pronounced a minor fine and a six month jail term for a person who had tormented a girl to commit suicide and drove her family away from their home in Panchkula.
The answer is in the third part of the same HT story in the box titled “When Public Pressure Worked”. It goes to list the cases of Jessica Lall, Nitish Katara and Priyadarshini Mattoo, who were initially denied justice as the culprits had political clout, money and power to subvert the judicial system. However, the public pressure that was Click to Read More
December 16th, 2009Haagen-Dazs goes back to the days of the British Raj: Indians not allowed
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The last I heard a phrase like “Sorry, Indians not allowed” was in the pre-independence India and it’s a kind of strange that even more than 60 years after independence that in the Capital City of India, an international company which is looking to make money from India would open their FIRST outlet with an “Exclusive Preview for international travellers” and restrict access to holders of international passports..don’t believe me check out the picture that my friend and colleague Shrey Khetarpal took when he visited their outlet at the CITY SELECT MALL in Saket, New Delhi.
What’s their message “INDIANS KEEP OUT”! Wonder how’s that going to be possible for a retail outlet in India? Apparently, this is a franchise outlet and the franchisee is an Indian national. The question I ask, “Does Haagen-Dazs have any control over its communication and the way it presents itself to its consumers?” If the answer in this case is a NO, then it’s their Click to Read More
November 9th, 2009Brand India
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We will need to leverage our ‘soft power’ to become a ‘super power’
“My government’s endeavour would be to create such an atmosphere in the country that …the talent in the country should work to prove that we are unparalleled in the world.” – Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India
As an Indian, I have been witness to innumerable depictions of India - nation of snake charmers, an insular socialist economy and a resurgent economy. National image is a strategic choice rather than an accident and increasingly important with the increasing interface of the brand India with the world. So what should brand India be to the world? We looked back to look ahead and our study revealed three distinct phases of the evolution of brand India.
Colonial India: exotic, earthy and vibrant with a nationalistic and multicultural personality. However, it remained the land of the snake charmer.
Independent India: socialist, agrarian, austere and largely socialistic. It was seen as narrow minded and Click to Read More
September 30th, 2009Beyond Community Relations
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I was recently invited by OWW consulting , a leading CSR consulting firm in Malaysia, to speak at their CSR conference in Kaula Lumpur. It was a very impressive conference with many experts presenting their views. And listening to them all I could think of was the fact that I had so much more to learn.
Incidentally, I was the only speaker from the world of public relations or what they called reputation management – the link between CSR and Corporate Reputation. I took my cue from this brief and made a case which could have got me into a lot of trouble with my hosts!
I made a case that CSR as we know it is dead or dying and a new avtaar is emerging. My hosts were generous and kind and here I am sharing with you the contents of my argument. Hope you enjoy it and share your views after thinking it over.
CSR is only a three letter label today
For far too long, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has stood for nice-to-have initiatives that round off a hard-nosed Click to Read More
