Someone once said everything we do and say is public relations. The editorial mission of Reputation Nation is to highlight news and issues impacting business reputation and the practice of public relations (PR). From thought leadership programs to social responsibility and crisis communications, PR provides the reputation currency to build trust and grow your business. In fact, we would argue that in today’s divisive and highly polarized society, PR is needed now more than ever. We hope you enjoy this issue of Reputation Nation and we welcome your feedback!
My daughter, Shannon, a junior at top-ranked Cedarburg High School in Wisconsin, is starting that bewildering rite of passage nearly every young person making the difficult transition to adulthood faces: choosing a college or university. In case her dad and I (often in denial of how rapidly she is growing up and away from us) have not been paying attention, the signs of this tumultuous test are everywhere. Colorful brochures depicting ivory clad walls and sprawling campuses dotted with smiling, freshly scrubbed, youthful faces began arriving last fall. ACT tests are next week. Our investment advisor is talking to us about sources of financial aid and scholarships. Higher education costs […]
For the last several years I have not made New Year’s Resolutions. Not because I rarely keep them or because I don’t like change or there are simply too many things I’d like to improve about myself, so why bother. Or because I’m against the idea of “taking stock” and putting my ego (or is it my id or superego?) under the microscope to evaluate what’s working for me and what isn’t. Mainly, it’s because the idea of taking just one day a year to reflect, sharpen my focus and move on seems, well, out of touch. And since most of us vow to lose weight, quit smoking, or save […]
Is the cyber sky really falling? In the classic fable, Chicken Little causes widespread panic when he mistakes a fallen acorn for a piece of the sky, believing the world is coming to an end. After taking flight, he persuades a cast of animal characters to join him. Soon, a cunning fox takes advantage, lures them into the woods and eats them all one by one. The moral? Don’t believe everything you are told. This parable can also be applied to cybersecurity and emerging threats impacting IT business practices. But in today’s modern-day telling, the cagey fox is now a cybercriminal after your client’s personal credit card information, your company’s intellectual […]
Anyone in a business consulting role knows that the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. Becoming a trusted advisor to your customers is no easy task. Your client’s goals and current approach to achieving them may not align with your recommendations. Or your client may lack the willingness to try a new path, especially if he or she has an entrenched way of doing business. In these scenarios, your progress may be impeded if there is not a strong bond of trust in your business relationships. You remember that gut feeling you get when you know you are being lied to or you’re not being taken seriously by a boss or […]
The historic Panama Papers leak has exposed the extensive use (and often abuse) by world figures, business leaders and celebrities to set up shell companies as off-shore tax havens. Although this has been the major headline as this historic data breach unfolds, perhaps as disturbing is how easy it was for the hacker (or hackers) to acquire the data, an estimated 2.6TB of stolen records making it the biggest cyber attack ever. As Paul Ducklin of nakedsecurity (IT security firm Sophos’ online newsletter) shares here, “This was not a traditional break-and-enter, and the hacker or hackers behind it didn’t run off with filing cabinets of printed material. Presumably, the hackers needed to get in, […]
For decades Fortune 500 companies have gravitated to cause marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs with the belief that doing well by doing good is good business. Now small and mid-size businesses are picking up the social responsibility gauntlet. Locally active companies are balancing support of worthy causes with their focus on growing their businesses. There are a lot of great reasons for companies of all types and sizes to embrace societal and environmental causes beyond the motivation to give back. First, there is the positive brand affinity that comes from being associated with a well-regarded charity. The right cause can be a powerful catalyst for advancing and protecting the company’s reputation with employees, customers, consumers […]
None of us likes to think of the possibility that our life may end sooner than planned. Not that anyone is planning to die. It simply is a foregone conclusion. At some point. Hopefully, later. After we’ve enjoyed a few years lounging in the sun or traveling the world with our spouse at our side. Retirement nirvana interrupted only by the occasional visit from our children and grandchildren. While it’s a subject most of us don’t want to confront, the unexpected death of a loved one is something most families plan for through the purchase of a life insurance policy to replace income or cover debt in our absence. We hope that we’ll never need […]