Module 4 Overview: Real Estate Reputation Audits Internal

Module 4 Overviewpr Real Estatereputation Auditsinternal And External

Module 4 Overview pr Real Estate Reputation Audits internal And External Vulnerabilities Audience Profiles Imagine being under fire about something a well-meaning volunteer meant but went horribly wrong….the company is getting HAMMERED. They need to get their side of the story out….BUT: the one person with access to their website retired a year ago and they have no social media pages OR their website is so old they can’t post news or update. It’s sad when you don’t have a wall to hang your news on. Having PR real estate….taking thermometer readings of your organization to assess liabilities and audience profiles are all tools to help you keep a reputation in good health. 1 Reputation Fitness Unified strategic message Populated across all PR real estate Ongoing educating, equipping of messengers When it comes to messaging……see bullets.

Keep a close eye on how your top 3-5 competitors are doing, what they post, articles they author…. Internal vs competitors weakness/competitive edges 2 What do you say about your organization? Online In Print In Person Integration should be throughout all channels …. 3 What is PR Real Estate? Website Printed materials: Brochures, business cards, one-sheets, etc. Messaging from board, staff, volunteers, and customers It's everything you own or wish to recognize as a platform for your message! Potential Editor Influence: News/journal/ magazine articles Quotes in news pieces Letter to Editor/opinions pieces KNOW WHAT should be in your control Media stories, reviews…ultimately others have the final word…editors 4 PR Real Estate continued Bios Association profiles LinkedIn Social Media Speaking circuits Key ambassadors Recommendations and reviews (Yelp, LN, Google, etc.) Advertising Videos Building exterior Lobby Events (hosted, attending, sponsorships) Special deliveries: cake, pizza, etc. 5 What is a PR Audit? A comprehensive review of a company's messaging First, you or they notice that the messaging is off Review messaging across all PR real estate Where does it match up? Where is it off? Make PR recommendations In reputation management situations audits or surveys reveal weaknesses which can be addressed before a crisis makes the situation worse. Also help avoid costly mistakes…like starting a new company or offering a new service with a logo or name people don’t get. 6 What Prompts an Audit? Fractured message Unknown or unrecognized Not getting clients for a particular service False ideas about company Message is not getting across 7 You Need an Audit When You Hear... “We have 33 options but people only know about 2-3!” “We are available to the general public but everyone thinks we require membership!” “No one is using our free services” “No one thinks of us for X” “We opened a new office in that region, but no one knows” A quick survey can often give you enough intel to quickly change message cue. Free online surveys are great tools.

8 Case Example A 50 year old company says, “Everyone knows us!” and “We’re leaders in X!” but has little PR. A new company moves to town with a clear PR message: “We’re #1 in X!” There is one mountain, who will get the flag on first? Unless your name is Coca-Cola, Apple, the Red Cross and similar household names, no, not everyone knows who you are, and not necessarily in your own industry.

In public relations work we routinely planted flags which others took for granted they earned as if a birthright. 9 What an Audit Tells You What you want to say What is actually out on PR Real Estate What you need to add to your messaging Shouldn't be there OR needs to be part of the narrative Everything that is actually “on message” 10 Overarching Questions in a Reputation Audit What do YOU say about your organization? What does your TEAM think? What are your CUSTOMERS saying? What does the INDUSTRY say about you? The MEDIA?

11. Integrated Messaging Website+ SM Google/MSN Results Materials Executives Staff CR discusses message integrity, credibility, competition, etc, Protocols, Training

12 Reputation Audit: Website Review the website map Look for the overarching narrative Note what's missing, what's emphasized Analyze language for clarity and understanding, note unidentified terms What the company says they focus on/ are known for What is actually on the website VS.

13 Industry Messaging Review like/competitor messaging What language do other organizations use? What services do they provide? Does the client offer anything unique? Are they emphasizing the right things? Sometimes no need to re-create the wheel; DP example – A dr gets the whacky, crazy pnothvindictive pt of the year. NOTHING is good. Launches scathing online attack, uses multiple alias’ to post comments, reviews. It is easy to tell when the same pattern of adjectives are used next to typo.s…He files complaint at medical board.

14 Insider Language If the company uses a lot of insider language, that is a RED FLAG! Language needs to be accessible to the client/customer Keep the general population in mind

15 For the Audit Toolbox: Surveys A chance to learn what people are really saying about you, internally and externally The most accurate results come from outside the organization -- HR represents the employer over the employee Surveys are a drill down

16 Sample Survey Questions External/Consumers-- Which companies come to mind for the following services... What programs does the Org offer? Have you ever used the Org for X?

17 Surveys Reveal Recognition Accuracy Based on surveying possible consumers: “Sorry, but offhand I don't know this organization or anyone who is associated with it.” “Yes, I have heard of this company. They are supposed to be good but I don’t know what they offer.” “Old-fashioned, not known for any particular services. You don’t see them around much.” “I know of them. They come across like an old firm, pretty dated, not connected much. Seem nice.” When you look at this feedback…what would YOU DO? Drop? Add?

18 Sample Survey Questions Internal-- What are the top 3 services/programs your company is known for? What do you think your customers’/clients’ view is of your company? What do you think the industry perspective of your company is? What strengths does your company have? Is your bio up to date? Bios are a great place for PR real estate of key employee achievements and specializations

19 Thinking Outside the Box Case 1. “Cavemen” Case 2. “Cake News” Online In Print In Person Entrenched Narrative, Hitting the Wall Messaging Wall: The industry press considered us a no-player when it came to Silicon Valley business.. Despite having an office there and regularly announcing our huge deals, we couldn’t get a break. One paper was relentless and ran a cartoon depicting our firm as n the stone age…literally with cavemen trying to figure out the wheel. The most conservative person in the firm was the CFO. He agreed …dress as FF. wig, fake animal, club took a 25 pound slate paver, taped latest accomplishments….chocolate …….showed up at 10:30AM in person. T-coat in elevator. #2. Slow news day (Yaligian) , merger party cake, , the VISUAL could not be ignored….detail design of glass ceiling..made noise too for radio to pick up.

20 Edelman Trust Barometer Measures global trust in 4 large social structures--government, business, NGOs, and media Survey asked to measure the truth of the statement or level of agreement Internal survey questions modeled after ETB: "My hard work is rewarded in this company" "I do not have confidence in the leaders of this company" "This company is moving in the right direction" Open ended questions are great but you want high participation and fast feedback. Make it easy.

21 Edelman Trust Barometer External survey questions modeled after ETB "Company X is good at what they do" "Company X is honest" "Company X keeps its promises" "Company X is trying hard to have a positive impact on the community" "I like Company X because they deal fairly with customers" "I like Company X because they deal fairly with partners and suppliers"

22 Enemies Within "Companies that fail to make their employees their reputation champions are taking a big risk. Employees can become their most angry adversaries and erode their reputation" - The 18 Immutable Laws of Corporate Reputation Taking an office poll of where to have a party or which charity to support is great but won’t reveal much.

23 Audit Summary Review what is being said and what needs to be said on PR Real Estate Surveys are a helpful tool to check message integration and recognition Review strategic places to increase message outreach Assess branding language to improve message consistency

24 Faith-Holders Your biggest fans! Stakeholders with high trust for the organization Long term commitment Are willing to recommend it Created through satisfaction Most PR energy should focus on these as they influence other stakeholders Who is in your target audience and of those who are Fans, Opposition and Neutrals?

25 Hateholders Dislike/hate a brand Engage negatively Often created through dissatisfaction React out of anger Require active monitoring Can be a tool to reveal company issues and problems. Can become Faith-holders. One of the first things we do in managing issues or crisis is to find the key opponents, and set up google alerts or other online tracking tools plus check out their social media posts.

26 Audience Profiles Business Residential Supplier Civic Ties Industry Community Clients Employees Charity Relations Vendors 3rd Party Referral Sources Prospective Clients General Public Licensees Industry Associations “Never forget those in your own backyard, they are the ones you’ll live by long after others leave.”

27 Audience Profiles Religious Entity Religious Community College Campus Organizations Faith Leaders Media Local Business Leaders Student Population/ Prospective Students Local Colleges Human Rights Activists Minority Communities Prospective & Current Donors Visual Prompts! Having these in front of you when dealing with crisis issues is invaluable as you’ll likely be pulled in 10 different directions and lobbied to do this or that by those more concerned with personal reputations than that of the organization.

28 Hostile Audiences Religious Entity Media Student Groups Antagonistic Religious Groups Local Businesses American Studies Association Counter Faith Group Public Affairs Council Academia Hollywood Religious Leaders This particular organization had protests at their facility mostly for decisions made OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY… it was essential to track opponents to stay ahead or in step with the narrative

29 Example: Law Firm Add Law FIRM slide here,

30 Workplace Violence Public Space Employees’ Families Employees Clients/ Donors Media Civic ties Survivors Survivor families General Public Pipeline Occupants

31 City As you can see Audience Profiles change according to the issue presented. Charting these helps you to remember the view from 10,000 feet

32 Solution Multiple-Channel Waiting Line Model Assumptions Poisson Arrivals Exponential Service Times Number of Channels 0 Arrival Rate 0 Service Rate For Each Channel 0 Operating Characteristics Probability that no customers are in the system, Po 0.0000 Average number of customers in the waiting line, Lq 0.0000 Average number of customers in the system, L 0.0000 Average time a customer spends in the waiting line, Wq 0.0000 Average time a customer spends in the system, W 0.0000 Probability an arriving customer has to wait, Pw 0.0000 &A

Paper For Above instruction

Effective reputation management is critical for organizations to sustain trust, credibility, and positive public perception. Central to this is understanding and leveraging PR real estate—defined broadly as all available platforms where an organization’s message can be communicated. Conducting thorough reputation audits across internal and external channels helps identify vulnerabilities and opportunities for messaging alignment. This paper explores the core components of PR reputation audits, the role of PR real estate, audience profiling, and strategic responses to reputation challenges.

PR real estate encompasses a broad spectrum of channels including organizational websites, printed materials, media appearances, social media profiles, speaking engagements, and physical spaces like lobby areas or sponsored events. These platforms form the foundation for strategic messaging and reputation building. For example, a company’s website embodies its core narrative and values, serving as a primary touchpoint for stakeholder engagement. Printed brochures, bios, awards, and association profiles further reinforce brand identity.

A comprehensive PR audit involves scrutinizing these platforms to assess how well they align with organizational messaging. It starts with reviewing the website for clarity, comprehensiveness, and overarching narrative congruence. Language used should be accessible, avoiding insider jargon that alienates stakeholders. Analyzing competitor messaging and industry trends is essential to ensure differentiation and relevance. This process involves identifying gaps, inconsistent messages, or outdated information that could weaken reputation. Audits should also include stakeholder surveys—internal and external—to gather perceptions and recognition levels. External surveys typically reveal awareness and recognition among consumers, while internal surveys gauge employee perceptions and alignment.

Survey questions must be carefully crafted to extract meaningful insights. External questions might explore brand recognition, service awareness, and perceptions of credibility, while internal questions assess employee understanding of organizational strengths and messaging consistency. Results guide refinement of messaging strategies and narrative positioning.

A vital part of reputation audits is examining the credibility and influence of key spokespeople and ambassadors who act as PR real estate—bios, industry profiles, and social media presence. Their messages significantly impact stakeholder perceptions. Additionally, audits should evaluate the visibility and effectiveness of crisis communication plans, including response protocols to hot-button issues such as workplace violence or external protests.

In today’s digital environment, monitoring and responding to online sentiment—via social media listening tools, Google alerts, and review sites—is essential. Tracking negative feedback (“hateholders”) and engaging with them proactively can mitigate reputational damage and even convert detractors into advocates (“faith-holders”). Likewise, identifying “enemies within”—employees or insiders who erode trust—is important for internal reputation management.

Understanding stakeholder profiles—faith-holders, hateholders, and general audiences—is vital for strategic messaging. Faith-holders, who trust and support the organization long-term, should be prioritized for nurturing advocacy, while hateholders require active monitoring and engagement to address grievances. Audience profiling extends to community groups, industry partners, media outlets, and other relevant entities. Tailoring messaging and outreach strategies to these groups ensures that communications resonate and reinforce organizational reputation.

Finally, integrating messaging across all channels—website, social media, print, events—is necessary for consistency and reinforcement. The use of models like the Multiple-Channel Waiting Line helps understand operational aspects of stakeholder interaction and communication flow, ensuring that organizational responses are timely and appropriately directed.

In conclusion, reputation audits, supported by comprehensive stakeholder and audience profiling, are invaluable tools in safeguarding and strengthening an organization’s public image. Through strategic evaluation of PR real estate, content, credibility, and stakeholder perceptions, organizations can proactively manage risks, capitalize on opportunities, and build lasting trust with their audiences.

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