Corporate Reputation: 12 Steps to Safeguarding and Recovering Reputation [Hardcover]

Leslie Gaines-Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2008

Praise For Corporate Reputation: 12 Steps to Safeguarding and Recovering Reputation

"In a sea of business books, Corporate Reputation is a beacon of light for all leaders and future leaders looking for direction in the treacherous waters of a volatile business environment. It delivers a message that's provocative, insightful, and needs to be heard."
—Heidi Henkel Sinclair, Director of Communications, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

"Every CEO, senior executive, and, increasingly, board member now appreciates the importance of building and protecting a company's reputation. Anyone who depends upon or shapes a company's reputation—customers, employees, news media, NGOs, and bloggers—will benefit from reading Dr. Gaines-Ross's book and will learn more about the influence they wield over corporate reputations."
—Dr. Robert G. Eccles, Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School

"At a time when companies are facing unprecedented reputation crises comes a timely primer from Dr. Gaines-Ross that tells us what companies need to do to bring their reputations back from the brink. The book's 12-step reputation recovery model captures what we know about effective crisis management, and brings the process to life with a host of detailed case examples. It's right on the mark!"
—Dr. Charles Fombrun, CEO, Reputation Institute

"Finally, a book that clearly, realistically, and compellingly explains how companies of all types and sizes can protect and restore an invaluable company asset—corporate reputation. Brilliant insights and practical solutions leap from each page! A definite must-read for business professionals everywhere."
—Anthony Sardella, CEO, Evolve24 and Adjunct Professor at the Olin School of Business, Washington University in St. Louis

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is an easy read-which is tough to do when talking about reputation management, trust me I know-and, as the title suggests, the repair process is divided up into 12 different steps." (marketingpilgrim.com, April 3, 2008)

From the Inside Flap

Corporate Reputation

12 Steps to Safeguarding and Recovering Reputation

We all know reputation matters. But what do you do if your company should lose its reputation? Would you know the distress signals to look for before crisis strikes? Would you know how to begin to restore a damaged reputation and build an enduring and lasting one? Corporate Reputation: 12 Steps to Safeguarding and Recovering Reputation does more than show you how to manage a crisis immediately after an incident, disaster or disclosure. It guides you along the long road back to recovering your company's lost reputation, and preserving its organization and culture.

Written by Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross, one of the world's most widely acclaimed experts on CEO and corporate reputation, this pioneering work takes you through a 12-step reputation recovery model that any company can customize and apply to rebuild and restore its good name—and prevent it from being tarnished in the first place.

Recognizing the tangible value and good-will created by a company's reputation, Corporate Reputation:

• Explains why reputation, more fragile than ever, matters to a company's valuation, well-being, and permission to exist

• Isolates a new stage—reputation recovery—that deserves its rightful place in the reputation-building process

• Identifies the most important steps in recovering reputation

• Explores the roles that corporate leaders play in reputation recovery and sustainability

• Provides a practical, time-tested road map for restoring reputation over the long-term

Losing money is a setback for a company, but losing reputation is a major blow. Corporate Reputation shows how you can keep your reputation strong by rallying the support of employees, consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders, so that your company's most competitive asset remains alive and well.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470171502
• ISBN-13: 978-0470171509
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #591,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In her role as Chief Reputation Strategist, Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross leads Weber Shandwick's reputation consulting services and proprietary thought leadership development. She is the architect behind ground-breaking, award-winning research into CEO and corporate reputation, executive team reputation, leadership transitions, reputation sustainability and recovery. Dr. Gaines-Ross is based in the New York office and is a member of Weber Shandwick's global senior management team.

She is one of the world's most widely recognized experts on CEO reputation -- how CEO reputations are built, enhanced and protected. Gaines-Ross spearheaded the first comprehensive research on CEO reputation and its impact on corporate reputation and performance. She was the architect of 'On the Minds of CEOs,' an international survey of CEOs that was conducted with Fortune and the creator of www.reputationRx.com, the Web site devoted exclusively to reputation news and information. Her book, CEO Capital: A Guide to Building CEO Reputation and Company Success, was published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons. She is a monthly columnist for Ethical Corporation's newsletter.

Before joining Weber Shandwick, Dr. Gaines-Ross was Chief Knowledge & Research Officer Worldwide at Burson-Marsteller and Marketing & Communications Director at Fortune. At Fortune, she initiated several groundbreaking research programs including 'Leveraging Corporate Equity' and 'Brands at the Crossroads.' She is also widely recognized for her strategic insights into and analysis of Fortune's Most Admired Companies Survey. Dr. Gaines-Ross was a 1995 winner of Time Inc.'s President's Award. She is also the co-author of FORTUNE Cookies: Management Wit and Wisdom, which was published by Vintage Books.

Gaines-Ross's work has been featured in Financial Times, The Times (London), The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, Fortune, BusinessWeek, Advertising Age, PRWeek, Forbes, The Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, Chief Executive, Business 2.0, Across The Board and in many other publications around the world. She has also appeared on CNN and CNBC. Dr. Gaines-Ross is a frequent public speaker on CEO and corporate reputation management. She has lectured at The Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA, USC, Wharton School of Business, New York University and Columbia University. Gaines-Ross was also a speaker at the 2003 World Economic Forum Governor's Meeting. She serves on the Executive Advisory Panel of Corporate Reputation Review and was inducted into the Academy of Women Achievers of the YWCA of the City of New York in 2000.

Dr. Gaines-Ross' blog can be found at www.reputationXchange.blogspot.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The proper care, feeding and protection of a reputation February 2, 2009

By Rebecca Clement

Format:Hardcover

Most leaders recognize the critically important role that reputation plays in the long-term success of an organization. If you don't believe that statement then perhaps you should consider the names of the following companies: Enron; Worldcom; Arthur Anderson; AIG; Firestone - each of these organizations experienced major crises and each tried to recover. Some succeeded and some failed. In her book Corporate Reputation, Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross examines the spectrum of reputation addressing everything from negative reputation triggers; early warning signals to crises; avoidance tactics as well as how to restore and nurture a positive image. Soundview recommends this book because the author offers a thoughtful, prescriptive approach to reputation recovery. She presents a 12-step procedure that's segmented into four stages or categories, which capture the most important aspects of recovering what was lost of a battered and beaten reputation. If your organization has not yet experienced a major crisis this book can help you minimize the fallout. It also provides immediate tactics for companies already embroiled in controversy to help you stop your organization's reputation slide into oblivion. Don't wait until your company is in dire straits, read this book straight away!

4.0 out of 5 stars How to enhance, protect and recover your corporate reputation September 16, 2008

By Rolf Dobelli HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Image makes up some 63% of the value of most corporations. This raises the soft practice of building and maintaining a company's reputation to the level of an executive concern. Author Leslie Gaines-Ross provides a solid education about strategies for developing, sustaining and repairing corporate reputations. While she does not significantly advance the field with sharp new insights, she does offer more recent, pertinent research. She also buttresses her findings with useful case studies. getAbstract recommends this solid overview of an important topic to corporate marketing and public-relations students and specialists.

5.0 out of 5 stars Every CEO should buy this book April 3, 2008

By Marketing Pilgrim

Format:Hardcover

The book is a must read for any company executive facing a corporate crisis-or is smart enough to realize that pretty much every company faces a reputation crisis at some point.

The book is an easy read and, as the title suggests, the repair process is divided up into 12 different steps. My favorites being "Step 1: Take the Heat-Leader First" and "Step 8: Seize the Shift." The latter explaining how corporate crises can often be linked back to shifts in business climate that leaders failed to see or ignored.

Drawing on her work with Weber Shandwick, and citing numerous case studies (IBM, BP, Xerox, Tyco, and Boeing), Gaines Ross does an excellent job with Corporate Reputation.

In summary; no CEO should be handed the reigns of a company, until they've read all 160 pages of this brilliant book.