Identity, Authenticity & Reputation: The Dynamic Triad

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1 Identity, Authenticity & Reputation: The Dynamic Triad Dr. Juan-Carlos Molleda Associate Professor & Graduate Coordinator Department of Public Relations College of Journalism and Communications

2 The Dynamic Triad Identity Authenticity Reputation

3 Identity & Image Totality of resources of an organization Administration & management Internal & external presentation Corporate visual identity & performance = organization Branding = products & services Versus What stakeholders perceive and consider as reality According to their experiences with the organization and its offerings

4 Identity Development Nature of the industry Organizational foundations, origins, philosophy, goals, mission and vision, business plan and strategy Internal and external stakeholders, target consumers and publics Contextual trends and realities Trends and advancement in graphic design and communication technologies

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6 Authenticity The essence of an organization: past, present & future

7 We re at the start of an era where people want authentic stories about authentic people. Public relations professionals are the storytellers. It s our job to help find the authenticity at the core of our companies and clients, and to tell those stories to the world in words that will truly be heard. Cook, 2007, The Public Relations Strategist

8 Importance of the Construct More active publics and consumers Emergence of the experience economy Eroding confidence in major institutions Greater demand for transparency and corporate responsibility Authenticity communicates what the organization/brand stands for and conveys its core values and tradition (Brown et al., 2003) Expanded and sophisticated competition and communication media Emerging realities of economic system during and after global recession

9 Five Genres of Perceived Authenticity (Gilmore & Pine, 2007) Corresponding to five economic associations: Commodities (natural authenticity) Goods (original authenticity) Services (exceptional authenticity) Experiences (referential authenticity) Transformations (influential authenticity)

10 Natural Authenticity People tend to perceive as authentic that which exists in its natural state in or of the earth, remaining untouched by human hands; not artificial or synthetic

11 Original Authenticity People tend to perceive as authentic that which possesses originality in design, being the first of its kind, never before seen by human eyes; not a copy or imitation

12 Exceptional Authenticity People tend to perceive as authentic that which is done exceptionally well, executed individually and extraordinarily by someone demonstrating human care; not unfeelingly or disingenuously performed

13 Referential Authenticity People tend to perceive as authentic that which refers to some other context, drawing inspiration from human history, and tapping into our shared memories and longings; not derivative or trivial

14 Influential Authenticity People tend to perceive as authentic that which exerts influence on other entities, calling human beings to a higher goal and providing a foretaste of a better way; not inconsequential or without meaning

15 Colombian Coffee Ambassador to the World

16 Growers United

17 Authenticity of Juan Valdez Natural authenticity: Coffee is a commodity that exists in a natural state Original authenticity: Colombia being the first country to stamp country-of-origin to a world commodity

18 Authenticity of Juan Valdez Exceptional authenticity: Colombian coffee s production is based on human care since the moment the beans are hand-picked until they are delivered to the world market by an authentic coffee grower functioning as spokesperson or international icon

19 Authenticity of Juan Valdez Referential authenticity: The background and experience of this idyllic coffee grower is a human story focused on shared memories and longings of the Colombian community of coffee growers and worldwide coffee consumers Influential authenticity: The campaign calls for the preservation of the coffee culture of Colombia and, in addition, the protection of the natural environment expressed by the accord signed between the Federation and Rainforest Alliance

20 An Authenticity Index To measure effectiveness of public relations efforts, techniques and message system Controlled and uncontrolled communications the perceived authenticity of organizations, including its actions, operations, products, services and corporate spokespeople in the mind of internal or external stakeholders Gap / co-orientation analysis between public relations messages and actions, and public perceptions Identification of most relevant elements of authenticity depending on the type and timely of the strategic communication effort

21 An Integrated Authenticity Model Natural Original Exceptional Referential Influential Perceived Authenticity Indexical Iconic Protecting status, real commitments to quality, price performance, using place as a referent, traditional production methods, stylistic consistency, history and culture as referents Pure (literal) Approximate Moral

22 Example of Items for Testing Molleda, 2010 Does the (interactive, online, print, audiovisual) text convey any of the following aspects? Imagery of or claims that evoke pleasure or fun achievable by stakeholders, individually or collectively, when they encounter or are exposed to the corporate offering, promises, or experiences; access to the original idea or design, or which accurately represents the original; organizational values, including beliefs, principles, or way of acting or operating; associations with nature of commodities or products, such as being non-renewable or renewable natural resource; associations with originality in design of products, services, ideas, or facilities;

23 Example of Items for Testing Molleda, 2010 Does the (interactive, online, print, audiovisual) text convey any of the following aspects? exceptional quality of corporate offerings, promises, and operations; heritage of the organization and its leaders, as well as references to historical background of the organization and its corporate offerings or promises; sustainability and corporate responsibility programs, decisions, or actions; calls to become part of an action that goes beyond profit making and corporate gains; and imagery or claims of stakeholders projections on the corporate offerings or promises, or core ideas.

24 Corporate Reputation The way organizations are perceived & interpreted

25 Criteria to Evaluate Corporate Reputation Fortune, Reputation Institute, Corporate Equity Rating-Opinion Research Corporation Quality of management & leadership Differentiation Quality of products & services Innovativeness / R&D Long-term investment value & strategy Wise use of corporate assets Ability to attract, develop & keep talented people Effective communication with all publics / audiences Attention to market s, industry s & publics needs & expectations (Responsiveness) Responsibility to the community & environment

26 Understanding influence on corporate reputation Harris Interactive Reputation Quotient

27 The 18 Immutable Laws of Corporate Reputation: Creating, Protecting, and Repairing Your Most Valuable Asset (Ronald J. Alsop) Establish a good reputation (long-term process) Maintenance (continuous process) Repair (in time of crises & difficult situations) If everything fails, change your name Ex: Philip Morris / Altria Group

28 Splitting, Integrating, takeover-ing

29 External Image(s) Impacts Organizational Value Market Opinion & Research International (MORI) - Hill & Knowlton Consistent & clear Identity + integrated communication = Successful strategic business & social alliances / partnerships Treatment of financial analysts = rakings, investments

30 Non-Financial Aspects of Corporate Performance Three key factors: Execution of corporate strategy Openness and transparency / strong governance & management Fulfill promises Transparent reporting Board of directors structure Clear and consistent communication with key stakeholders Secondary factors, yet still important: Marketing & brand messages Corporate culture & work environment Compensation & career development opportunities Social responsibly & community investment

31 The Value of Corporate Reputation Morley, 2002 Doorley & Garcia, 2007 Good reputation = greater loyalty to products and services Especially when integrated communication established strong connection and engagement between corporate identity (personality), brands and, more important, consumers and stakeholders Twice important when an organization and its brands are the same Ex: Coca-Cola Crisis yield = goodwill reservoir A poorly regarded organization will be assumed guilty from the outset = lack of credibility

32 An Integrated Communication Dynamic Constant monitoring data, indicators, benchmarking to make managerial decisions, including integrated communication decisions Media analysis Opinion studies Social audit Market research SWOT Mapping Leadership & vision Social responsibility Emotional appeal Products & services Work environment Financial results Productivity Innovation Managing change Employee & shareholder relations Take into account the target public and consumer s interests in specific reputation attributes Reputation: Evaluating Development Maintenance Repairing Integrated strategic communication Consistent corporate identity Key messages Authenticity claims & illustrations Relationships with clients, consumers, traditional and emergent media, community, the third sector, analysts, government, activists Juan-Carlos Molleda, 2010

33 Identity, Authenticity & Reputation: The Dynamic Triad Dr. Juan-Carlos Molleda Associate Professor & Graduate Coordinator Department of Public Relations College of Journalism and Communications Copyright 2010