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
