Marijean Oldham (Jaggers), a social media specialist and public relations professional, is president and CEO of Jaggers Communications LLC, a strategic communications firm based in Charlottesville, Va.
Public relations firms have begun to adopt a descriptor that I think more accurately describes what some of us do; reputation management. The term originated with the internet and search engine results and has been used by companies promising to rid your company of all those nasty negative posts and comments that damage your brand’s reputation. As used here, and by Jaggers Communications, it is the practice of applying smart communications to tell the story of your business in a way that, yes, affects search results when one goes looking for information about your brand, but also the longer-term effect of educating, changing perceptions and establishing who you are, what you do, and what you do well.
I refer to my firm as a reputation management firm. I find that it’s far easier a concept for people to understand than public relations ever was. I remember comparing notes with others in public relations for years on the question, “does your family understand what it is that you do?” Our families often didn’t!
I think that lack of understanding has dissipated somewhat. I think there is more of a general, global understanding of social media and its impact; of the need for companies to have a communications strategy in place, and to be sharing the news of their business frequently and consistently.
What do you think? Has reputation management replaced public relations in the communications business?
I enlisted the help of my friend Alex Gulotta executive directorof Legal Aid Justice Center to demonstrate exactly how an organization or individual DOES NOT WANT to react in the event of a communications crisis.
Rather, consider these three steps:
Get out in front of it — if the writing’s on the wall, what can you do, proactively, to head any damage off at the pass?
Plan reactionary statements for all possible scenarios.
Develop the right messages about the situation that are CLEAR, SINCERE, and INFORMATIVE.
The internet’s been blowing up with reactions to Chief Executive Marissa Mayer’s ban on Yahoo employees working from home. Employees allowed the freedom and autonomy of working from a home office on either a full- or part-time basis have been outraged by the decision and the implication that home-based employees are less than productive.
I get it, though. And I’m not sure, were I in Mayer’s shoes, that I would make a different decision. I’m informed by experience. I worked from home full-time for five years. I know firsthand how difficult it can be. I was organized, productive, methodical and overall, a successful at-home employee, but it is very easy to see how that success is the exception rather than the rule, and how the challenges often outweighed the benefits.
Most people benefit from team interaction. In-person brainstorming and team building is far preferable and effective than the kind that can be achieved via conference call or Skype. As a consultant, I’ve even found that the time I spend on-site with clients, observing, learning and breathing the same air provides me with far more insight about the inner workings, challenges and wins my clients experience. That information gives me far richer fodder for developing the stories of that business, and the individuals who represent it.
For the at-home employee, particularly those trying to balance childcare or other home-based responsibilities in the mix, challenges abound. If there’s a home maintenance visitor expected (plumber, electrician, painter, etc.) you’re on tap to great, manage and pay them. If you have school-aged children, snow days can be your personal hell, or any unexpected school holiday in which your kids are present can sideline an otherwise productive day. If your home office isn’t an entirely separate space, with a door that closes and contents respected by other residents of the home, you’re setting yourself up for failure, too. People often envision working at home as an opportunity to lie around in one’s pajamas all day long, but from personal experience, I knew from the start that getting dressed to shoes and makeup each morning made me feel as if I was GOING TO WORK, even if that just meant descending two flights of stairs to my home office, psychologically programmed me to NOT feel as if I were taking a sick day.
So, I get it. Most people really CAN’T successfully pull off a full-time work from home arrangement. That’s not to say that allowing employees to work at home during special circumstances (i.e., snow days, sick kids, plumber visits and the like) isn’t advised. I would ALWAYS be for that — employees need that kind of flexibility to manage their lives, and in most cases, will pay it back in spades during long work days or weekend work.
My last thought on this topic is this: you people are weird. I created a video years ago (see how short my hair is!) to prove that I actually wear lipstick in my home office and to date, the video is the most popular I’ve ever created. Working from home, alone sometimes makes you do strange things. Here’s the video, in case you’re one of the few who hasn’t already seen it.
Every year, we invite proposals from local nonprofits who are interested in some pro-bono communications services. Why? Without going into the whole thing, I’ve always felt that giving back is important – and working with a community partner for a year is a great way for me to do the work I love for someone in our community who couldn’t necessarily afford our services otherwise!
This year, we’ve selected Earth Week as the 2013 Jaggers Communications Community Partner. Earth Week is a series of events that celebrate Earth Day in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. The cornerstone of Earth Week is the EcoFair, an event offering workshops, live music, a book swap, local brews and food, and kid-friendly entertainment, all highlighting the work of environmental organizations and businesses in the community. We are very excited to be developing an integrated, strategic communications plan to support Earth Week’s programs, events, and resources.
Watch for communications materials about Earth Week to start coming out in the next few weeks, and we’ll watch for you at the EcoFair on Sunday, April 21st from noon to 6pm at the Main Street Arena!
search engine results and has been used by companies promising to rid your company of all those nasty negative posts and comments that damage your brand’s reputation. As used here, and by Jaggers Communications, it is the practice of applying smart communications to tell the story of your business in a way that, yes, affects search results when one goes looking for information about your brand, but also the longer-term effect of educating, changing perceptions and establishing who you are, what you do, and what you do well.
