Fame and Fortune: How Successful Companies Build Winning Reputations [Hardcover]

Charles J. Fombrun (Author), Cees B. M. Van Riel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 2003

Companies build reputations in the market place. Some do it well, others don't. Even well-managed, profitable, quality companies don't. The how and why of successful reputation building is what this book is about. What specific actions must companies take to build a positive reputation in the market place? How can a company measure the success of its attempts to build a positive reputation in the market place as well.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Companies with strong reputations are better able to attract customers, investors, and quality employees-and to survive crises that would destroy weaker firms. Fame and Fortune shows how to quantitatively measure your company's reputation, estimate its business value, and systematically enhance it over both the short- and long-term.

First, you'll learn how to benchmark your firm's reputation against key rivals in six key areas, ranging from product quality to emotional appeal. Next, you'll discover that the winners of global reputation surveys get to the top by following a set of core principles through which they build visibility, distinctiveness, consistency, authenticity, and transparency.

Then, starting from where you are now, you'll learn how to implement genuine corporate initiatives that strengthen two-way dialogue with all your stakeholders, and build the "reputational capital" you will need to succeed-and thrive.

• Why reputations matter: the proof, in cold, hard cash. Quantifying the "unquantifiable": the value of your corporate image.
• The reputation audit: discovering where you stand. Six key measures of your corporate reputation.
• Using the "Reputation Value Cycle" to your advantage. Creating a "virtuous circle" in which reputation enhances business corporate value.
• Making it real: the elements of trustworthiness. Building and communicating authenticity, consistency, and transparency.
• Standing apart from the crowd. Improving your visibility and your distinctiveness.
• How FedEx did it: lessons for your organization. Reputational best practices from a company built on trust.

Create quantifiable business value by building your company's reputation.

• The definitive business reputation guide for every corporate officer, strategist, corporate communicator, and marketing professional
• How to audit your reputation-and benchmark your competitor
• An integrated approach that cuts across communications, strategy, marketing, and organization
• Techniques for strengthening your reputation with investors, customers, partners, regulators, citizens, and employees
• Includes detailed tools from the Reputation Institute's own StellarRep(r) model, the world's #1 reputation management toolkit

Companies with great reputations do better on virtually every business metric. Now, you have unprecedented access to a roadmap for building the kind of reputation you need and deserve.

Drawing on unsurpassed experience and the field's best research, two leading experts illuminate reputation management for executives, business communicators, marketers, and strategists alike.

You'll first review the powerful business case for actively managing your reputation. Next, you'll realistically assess where you stand in areas ranging from product quality to financial strength, vision to social responsibility... discovering how to make the most of your strengths as you overcome your weaknesses. The authors show that to improve reputation, you have to improve visibility, distinctiveness, authenticity, transparency, and consistency throughout the enterprise-not just in traditional silos like PR, advertising, or IR!

Want the powerful business value that arises from a world-class reputation? One book will show you how to get it: Fame and Fortune.

"A strong reputation is an enduring source of competitive advantage. In Fame and Fortune, Fombrun and van Riel show how successful companies mobilize the support of employees, consumers, and investors to strengthen their reputational capital. An excellent read!"
—Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President & CEO, FedEx Corp.

About the Author

Charles J. Fombrun is Professor Emeritus of Management at the Stern School of Business, New York University; and Executive Director of the Reputation Institute, a private research group devoted to researching, measuring, and valuing corporate reputations. A frequent conference speaker, he has designed and taught executive programs at Columbia University, The Wharton School, and NYU, and he consults with companies worldwide on issues of reputation management and organizational change. He is co-founder of the Corporate Reputation Review. Dr. Fombrun has written over 100 articles in leading journals, and his books include Leading Corporate Change, Reputation: Realizing Value from the Corporate Image, Strategic Human Resource Management, and The Advice Business: Essential Tools and Models for Management Consulting.

Cees B.M. van Riel, Professor of Corporate Communications at the Rotterdam School of Management of Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Netherlands, has written numerous articles about corporate identity and branding, and is the author of three previous books: Handbook of Corporate Communication, Identity and Images, and Principles of Corporate Communications. He is currently editor-in-chief of Corporate Reputation Review, Managing Director of the Reputation Institute, and Founding Director of the International Masters Program in Corporate Communications, a joint venture among five leading European business schools. He is also a member of the Branding Steering Committee of ING Group.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: FT Press (August 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130937371
• ISBN-13: 978-0130937377
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,818,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very user-friendly and educational, November 20, 2005

By 

Luis Lopez Portillo (San Salvador) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fame and Fortune: How Successful Companies Build Winning Reputations (Hardcover)

Mr. Fombrun is the reputation expert. In this book he and Mr. Van Riel do a great job of ilustrating corporate reputation in simple and clear terms. The use of graphs, examples, metrics, and references to other authors makes the content very credible and useful. This book serves as a guide for quickly applying the concepts of reputation to any organization. It's very easy to read. Don't expect deepness, it's more of a excellent introductory text for those unfamiliar with the topic of corporate reputation.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Your CEO Needs to Know!, October 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Fame and Fortune: How Successful Companies Build Winning Reputations (Hardcover)

Finally something I can use to convince my CEO that reputations can and should be managed! The book provides a comprehensive overview of the critical success factors of reputation management and discusses a number of interesting case studies to underline key points. Though its a complex subject the book reads pretty easy and I could relate most of it to my daily work as a communications professional. To me, the bottom line is I can now start a discussion in my firm about the need for managing reputation and use solid arguments based on both research and other companies' best practice. It seems that being able to explain what drives reputation and who should be involved in managing it is half the work...

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book and great service!, October 7, 2011

By 

Victoria (Wheaton, MD) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fame and Fortune: How Successful Companies Build Winning Reputations (Hardcover)

The book was came fast and the book is in very good conditions, like they said.
I recommended this online store!