In case you missed it, Merritt Group recently launched its very own podcast called Lay of the Brand, which explores the latest innovations in marketing, creative and PR and how these disciplines are revolutionizing the way the tech industry communicates and sells.
Following our George Mason University panel podcast highlighted in our previous episode, we sat down with Serge Samoilenko, one of the panelists and a communications professor at the university, and trust us – you won’t want to miss what he had to say.
In addition to teaching communications, Samoilenko focuses extensively on finding ways to connect academic and professional communities in the fields of public relations and social media. Serge shares his expertise on reputation management and how social media is impacting, and perhaps even changing the environments people are used to communicating in. He also provides some insights into the importance of adapting the concept of corporate social responsibility to the new era of transparency social media has forced businesses to enter.
Samoilenko’s expertise on reputation management in an ever-changing digital era provides critical new ways to think about your company’s image, no matter how big or small you are. Here are some of the key takeaways, and we encourage you to listen to the full episode to hear more details!
1. Consistency is key across all environments. As social media becomes increasingly popular, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your reputation and image are consistent across environments. One fault many people and companies tend to make is failing to realize that social media is such a mass medium that it can have a significant impact on people’s perceptions. Keeping your image consistent in all public spaces is crucial for reputation management.
2. Your audience is all-knowing. Instead of just being able to see the figureheads of an organization and companies operating in public spaces, consumers now have the ability to get inside the minds of company leaders. Private spaces are more open to commentary than ever, largely due to social media and the fact that people have more access to company thought processes than ever before.
3. Stay true to who you are. It might sound cheesy, but sticking to your gut is the best way to maintain your company’s reputation. It’s impossible to please everyone, so sticking to your corporate character should be a top priority. Your mission statement and what you see for your company moving forward is going to tell you how to best handle situations where your reputation could be susceptible to tarnishing.
4. Know what you’re good at…and what you’re not. Don’t be afraid to take a long, hard look at your company and really pull apart what your weaknesses are. Check that you’re following ethics, that your customer feedback is positive and that if you have any faults, you’re putting effort into solving the issues you’re having. Everyone learns from their mistakes, so do a communication audit and don’t be afraid if you find something you don’t like – now at least you know it’s there and you can direct attention toward fixing it.
Looking for more tips and insights on the intersection of Marketing/PR and technology? Subscribe to Merritt Group’s Lay of the Brand podcast!