Rethinking Reputation: How PR Trumps Marketing and Advertising in the New Media World

by Fraser P. Seitel, John Doorley

Overview

Once just the icing on a good campaign, PR is now the lynchpin of any reputation management strategy. Little wonder, in a time when even minor gaffes can ruin the careers of politicians, celebrities, athletes and high-flying CEOs - and a single well-placed endorsement can launch an unknown startup into the stratosphere. In Rethinking Reputation, public relations gurus Fraser Seitel and John Doorley examine the pivotal PR moments of recent years - including the BP oil spill and the 2012 Republican primaries - to glean the dos and don'ts for the new media world. They show everyone from mom-and-pop shops to Fortune 500 companies how to wield the power of word-of-mouth, relationships, and publicity to maximize coverage and minimize harm. In between, they illustrate the character-based communication strategies that have bulletproofed countless businesses - and how you can use them too.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137278708
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/17/2013
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Fraser P. Seitel is a public relations consultant, author, lecturer, columnist, and media commentator, appearing frequently on the Fox News Network and other outlets. He is the author of The Practice of Public Relations, which is used in universities worldwide and has sold over a million copies in 11 editions. John Doorley is the founding academic director of the Master of Science in Public Relations degree program at New York University. He also founded and directs the Academy for Communication Excellence and Leadership at Johnson & Johnson, with multiple course offerings in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

The Authors ix

Introduction: It All Started with Moses 1

Part I How to Build Reputation

1 The Power of Relationships 13

The Magic Slippers and the Exterminator

2 The Power of Publicity 29

Penicillin for the Soul: The Best Publicity Story Ever Told

3 The Power of Your Personal or Company Brand 47

P. Roy Vagelos, Maverick-Lessons in Leadership and Communication

4 The Power of Planning 69

Energy Man with a Plan No Matter the Goal, Every Person and Business Needs One

5 The Power of Reputation 91

How the Pros at J&J Do It, In Good Times and Bad

Part II How to Protect Reputation

6 Control the Agenda 111

What Kobe Bryant Knew that Weiner, Edwards, Clemens, McGwire and Tiger Didn't

7 Take Either Road-Just Stick to It 137

How Hewlett-Packard Went High, Dominique Strauss-Kahn Went Low, and They Both Won

8 Stick to the Script 161

Crisis Management and Mismanagement How BP Became "Battered Petroleum"

9 The Sin of Spin 185

Renouncing the Clinton Legacy and Embracing the "Volcker Rule"

10 Rethinking Reputation 203

How the Most Unlikely Company Went "Straight" to Change Its Image and Recapture Credibility

Bibliography 227

Index 231

Editorial Reviews

“A useful resource for…PR, mass communications, and related fields…Recommended.” —Choice

“I would give it an 'A.' It should be required reading for every communications student and their instructors, and for every person involved in a business that may some day have a PR problem or use a PR firm. Put it on your must-read list.” —O'Dwyer's

“A fun and educational discussion of building and protecting a reputation by two leaders in the field of public relations… Lots of practical information for both building a business and living a life.” —Kirkus Reviews

“By now you know we're in the middle of a communications revolution with an explosion of new media channels to reach your audience directly and then have your ideas shared in social networks. But most organizations act as if we're still in the mainstream media era of big expensive campaigns. Rethinking Reputation shows you how to reset your concept of reputation and to navigate this new media world. Beautifully written with compelling real-word examples from companies large and small, Seitel and Doorley show you how to succeed.” —David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR, now in over 25 languages from Bulgarian to Vietnamese

“In an age of public conversations, reputation maintenance is a daily practice, and your crisis management skills may be needed at any moment. Fraser Seitel and John Doorley's book Rethinking Reputation doesn't just shed light on PR best practices; it's a wake-up call and a must-read for all communications professionals today.” —Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO Pure Performance Communications and author of Social Media and Public Relations

“Rethinking Reputation reminds us all of the importance of PR in the most ad-cluttered world we've ever lived in. I highly recommend it to business professionals everywhere. Two big likeable thumbs up!” —Dave Kerpen, New York Times bestselling author, Likeable Social Media and Likeable Business

“Personal reputations seem in tatters everywhere you look today. This entertaining guide to public relations shows how the world's 'second oldest profession" is the basis of our individual reputations and relationships.” —Helen Ostrowski, retired chairman and CEO, Porter Novelli

“If your Master of the Universe reputation is under threat, you must immediately read this essential guide to master any crisis--or better yet hire the wise gurus of reputation, Fraser Seitel and John Doorley. Crammed full of wisdom from other Masters' fall from grace.” —Robert Lenzner, Contributing Editor and Columnist, Forbes Media and bestselling author of The Great Getty

“Everyone knows that reputation is a bridge--and an illusion. Rethinking Reputation is a hands-on training book that drives away theoretic cobwebs and teaches you how to use modern PR to a variety of ends. You can give this book to your bosses, boards or other constituents to get buy-in for newthink, no-BS strategies---while saving you from pulling out your hair!” —Richard Laermer, CEO RLMpr and author of Full Frontal PR

“Whether in business or politics, one's reputation is the critical foundation on which success is built. Seitel and Doorley have put forward a thought-provoking blueprint on how to both build and maintain this valuable asset.” —Ed Ingle, Managing Director of Government Affairs, Microsoft Corporation, and former senior White House aide

“The authors are good storytellers, with tales of the famous and the obscure. They are especially good at conveying the power of character-based communication.” —Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City

From the Publisher

In an age of public conversations, reputation maintenance is a daily practice, and your crisis management skills may be needed at any moment. Fraser Seitel and John Doorley's book Rethinking Reputation doesn't just shed light on PR best practices; it's a wake-up call and a must-read for all communications professionals today.

CEO Pure Performance Communications and author of Deirdre Breakenridge

From BP’s oil spill to Anthony Weiner’s Twitpic snafu, public relations failures are all around us. How to avoid them? Public relations consultant Seitel (The Practice of Public Relations) and corporate communications expert Doorley demonstrate how people and companies have successfully used PR to accomplish great things or to destroy themselves, and how readers can learn to use this powerful force for good. Claiming grandiosely that “public relations is the most powerful force in modern society,” the authors examine success stories from Johnson & Johnson and others, and PR disasters, such as John Edwards’s affair, and how those reputations could have been protected. Some (though not enough) analysis is done on strategy: pick the high or low road and stick to it; plan soon and plan thoroughly. Since PR is globally replacing advertising as the “go to” promotional strategy for individuals and organizations, it’s undoubtedly important to understand. Unfortunately, this slim study pretty much stops at “PR is important”—a good start, but not fully developed. Agent: Andrew Wylie, Wylie Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

A fun and educational discussion of building and protecting a reputation by two leaders in the field of public relations. Seitel (The Practice of Public Relations, 11th Edition, 2010) and Doorley (co-author: Reputation Management: The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communication, 2006), the founding academic director of the Public Relations master's program at NYU, assemble a set of case studies from the fields of business, politics and sports, and they separate their view of public relations from advertising and marketing. "Public relations," they write, "is mandatory; advertising optional." The authors show how it is now possible to build a successful international business in a short time without advertising. Susie Levitt and Katie Shea, student designers of CitySlips footwear, achieved this through networking among family and friends and using their Facebook and Twitter accounts to organize and expand their outreach. Other cases showcase the relationship between branding and reputation and how qualities of character, such as integrity, impact the performance of both business corporations and individuals. An example is Roy Vagelos, who developed a cure for river blindness and who, when he was made an executive at Merck, ensured the drug was made available where needed for free. The authors contrast Exxon's disastrous response to the Valdez oil spill with the different types of blunders made by BP's leadership during the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and they profile figures in sports and politics who have required PR help, including Kobe Bryant, Michael Vick, Bill Clinton and Anthony Weiner. Seitel and Doorley also highlight the integrity of Clinton's former press secretary Mike McCurry, and they use Paul Volcker's example of public service to derive their own Volker rule: "never spin." Lots of practical information for both building a business and living a life.

Kirkus Reviews