Customer Reviews

Trust or Consequences: Build Trust Today or Lose Your Market Tomorrow

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PR legend Al Golin makes the case for public relations in a single word: "trust," the asset that can elevate or save an organization. His trust-building method comprises a mix of PR specialties: media relations, internal communications, corporate social responsibility, crisis communications, and ethics counsel.

Mr. Golin makes his points with a half-century of PR examples--

The good: Clark Gable's patience with autograph seekers; Johnson & Johnson's handling of the Tylenol tampering crisis

The bad: Ford and Firestone blaming each other following Explorer rollovers; corporate scandals and CEOs running amok during the past decade

This informative book serves an additional role: it is a "sales manual" that can help PR pros teach corporate leaders the true value of public relations. Mr. Golin examines common executive mistakes and misconceptions (avoiding the media, hoping a crisis `blows over,' not disclosing bad news to employees) juxtaposed with the correct actions in the given scenarios. Salespeople learn how to "overcome objections" to make the sale. In Trust or Consequences, we learn from a master how to sell bosses and clients on good PR.

This book could not come at a more appropriate time. In today's business environment corporations and marketers seemed to have lost perspective on the one key element that keeps them connected to stakeholders - trust. You hear a lot about "corporate reputation management" and "truthful marketing", but trust is the real bottom-line. Mr. Golin's book clearly outlines key, easy actions that any brand or corporation can incorporate. The "Ten Acts of Trust" and "The Ten Commandments of Organizational Trust" are "must-read" and "must-implement" chapters. I recommend to marketing and communications professionals everywhere.

Fronting for companies like Nestle, McDonald's and Bayer is never easy. From the baby formula scandal that Nestle faced for giving away formula to mothers with no clean water sources, to Bayer with problematic pesticide and pharmaceutical products, to McDonald's building thier customer base from preschool on, Al Golin has mastered the art of building unearned public trust in companies that may or may not have earned it. This book tells you how you can can find the glass half full and market the bright side of companies that kill kids and make thier parents ill! Bravo!