ORM Toyota How not to Conduct Online Reputation Management

It wasn’t too long ago that corporations had defined processes for handling consumer correspondence, complaints, and/or product defects. In today’s environment where information can get around the world in a second, the corporations which are still relying on slow moving and methodical response processes are paying the price in terms of the online reputation of their brands, products and services.

Toyota is a great example of a corporation which was slow to react to a major issue and then paid a steep price once things spun out of control. With an accidental acceleration issue that had been in existence for some time, the company was slow to take measures to fix the problem and then way behind the curve as accounts hits the newswires and the web. Their slow reaction to both the original issue and the public outcry has become a case study for reputation management; unfortunately for Toyota the case study is used to demonstrate how not to manage a public relations nightmare.

While Toyota is in the financial position to throw money at the problem until it goes away, most businesses cannot afford the kind of runaway publicity that hammered the car company. Here are three ways to stay ahead of potential problems so they remain manageable and don’t harm your company’s online reputation:

1) Monitor the web – Whether it’s one of your employees talking about your company or a group on a social network talking about issues with your most recent product release, you need to know what is being said. The upside here is that you may find great ideas for product or service upgrades by following what is being said by customers and other industry experts.

2) Be a valuable part of the community – Being involved in activities and discourse related to your industry raises your level of authority in the minds of your customers and others in the industry. Becoming a media resource on current events in your industry is another way build authority.

3) Respond quickly – If things turn negative it’s very unlikely that they will go away on their own. Engage quickly to get ahead of the issue before it really blows up.

Managing online reputation is an investment that can pay off in a wide variety of ways. For more information, visit http://www.reputationmanagementllc.com/ or call (866) 530 7703.