Presenter:

Jonathan Bernstein Bernstein Crisis Management

Sponsored by

Emergency Notification and Incident Management Software

Sponsored by

Smarter Crisis Communication

Emergency Notification Incident Management Online Crisis Command Center Mobile Crisis Communication

www.missionmode.com

info@missionmode.com

Presenter:

Jonathan Bernstein President, Bernstein Crisis Management

One of 22 individuals nationwide “who should be on the speed dial in a crisis.” (PR Week)

Jonathan’s latest book.

These presentation slides are part of a recorded webinar. To watch the video, visit www.missionmode.com/webinars

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 6

• Sources of online threats

• Online reputation management terms

• Examples of threats

• ORM strategy

• Safeguards

• Dealing with Internet critics

• Education and reorientation

• The role of search engine optimization

Online Reputation Management (ORM)

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 7

2+ Billion Internet users 5 Billion Internet-connected devices

800 million Facebook users

100 million Twitter users

150 million blogs

More powerful than any newspapers or TV stations… and no one owns it.

Photographer: James Cridland

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 8

The I-Reporter

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 9

The I-Reporter

Anyone who chooses to share information on the Internet, regardless of its accuracy.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 10

Sometimes motivated by commercial gain, more often by ego

Goal – page 1 of a Google search, or visibility on websites

The I-Reporter

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 11

The I-Reporter

If they sound credible, they are credible. 90% of today’s crises involve I-Reporters.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 12

Other Sources of Online Threats

• Traditional media available globally, 24/7

• Gov’t agencies, NGOs, think tanks, research firms, citizen and consumer groups – all busy posting online

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 12

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 13

ORM Terms

• Website

• Blog

• Wiki

• Social media

• Points of Presence

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 14

Website

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 15

Blog

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 16

Wiki

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 17

Social Media

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 18

Points of Presence

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 19 Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 19

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 20

• Trade association attacked

• Financial services company investigated

• Public school board criticized by parents

• Manufacturers threatened by government report

• Dissatisfied customer spreads negative information

Examples of ORM Threats

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 21

ORM Strategy

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 22

ORM Strategy

1. Accept the 50% rule.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 23

ORM Strategy

2. Monitoring critics is essential.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 24

ORM Strategy

3. Crises can’t be completely contained.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 25

ORM Strategy

4. In the absence of communication, rumor and innuendo will always fill the gap.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 26

ORM Strategy

5. Information security is more important than ever.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 27

ORM Strategy

6. Don’t rely only on Web-based tactics.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 28

Safeguards

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 29

Safeguards

Put someone in charge of intelligence gathering and responding.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 30

Safeguards

Don’t rely on others to protect your reputation.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 31

Safeguards

Copyright everything.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 32

Safeguards

Have rapid-response systems in place.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 33

Internet Critics

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 34

Dealing with Internet Critics

The C-Factor

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 35

Dealing with Internet Critics

Timing

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 36

Education and Reorientation

It’s critical that:

• The C-Suite receives “ORM 101” training.

• All employees understand their role in ORM.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 37

The Role of SEO in ORM

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 38

The Role of SEO in ORM

What do you want found on page 1 of a Google search?

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 39

The Role of SEO in ORM

Relevant, fresh content and links are always key SEO factors

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 40

The Role of SEO in ORM

Multiple points of presence (POPs) can mean multiple, highly visible Google results.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 41

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 42

Who Ya Gonna Call?

NOT marketing or IT.

Give PR the lead.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 43

Who Ya Gonna Call?

PR usually understands the Internet, and they care about your rep more than anyone.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 44

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Use other experts to provide critical services.

Online tools for crisis communications and monitoring reputation.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 45

Manager’s Checklist

The number of Internet users is huge and growing exponentially.

The Internet is essentially the world’s largest newspaper—one with writers who usually have no professional or ethical restraints.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 46

Manager’s Checklist

Critical management skills:

• Understand the potential of the Internet for good or evil.

• Be familiar with Internet terms.

Reputation Combat: Protecting Your Company’s Online Reputation ©Copyright 2011, Jonathan Bernstein 47

Manager’s Checklist

Virtually all crises have an Internet component. Many are completely Internet-driven.

Rapid response is critical to effective Internet communications, and that requires advance preparation.

Sponsored by

Smarter Crisis Communication

Emergency Notification Incident Management Online Crisis Command Center Mobile Crisis Communication

www.missionmode.com

info@missionmode.com

These presentation slides are part of a recorded webinar. To watch the video, visit www.missionmode.com/webinars.