Reputation

What is reputation?

Having a good reputation is very important for both individuals and organizations. A reputation is the image that someone else has of you or your organization.

Maintaining your reputation allows customers, the media, the general public and other stakeholders to appreciate your company or organization.

Here we answer what a reputation actually is, what elements a good reputation consists of and what the benefits are reputation management are.

Reputation: outside perspective

Having a reputation responds to the question 'How do stakeholders think about the organization?'. A term such as identity looks at the perspective from the organization itself, but a reputation is formed from the perspective of external stakeholders.

Reputation is therefore about the total impression of external stakeholders about the actions of your organization, which translates into: to trust, valuation and support. These are things that are very important for the success of a company. This impression is formed by experiences and by what stakeholders see and hear about your organization.

The definition of a reputation consists of four parts:

• The impression people have (subjective).
• A reputation depends on the subject and the stakeholder group.
• A reputation is fairly stable.
• The image of an organization is compared to a standard, such as a competitor.

Reputation is related to identity. The most favorable situation is if the core values of an organization completely correspond with how committed external stakeholders view the organization. On the other hand, it can also happen that people from outside have a completely different, contradictory image of an organization.

In general, a reputation is based on an organization's actual performance, the leadership shown, the social relevance, the agility and the working environment.

What elements does a good reputation consist of?

The basis of a good reputation consists of a number of elements.

1. Authentic

Authenticity is appreciated by the general public and potential customers. Pretending and keeping up appearances is considered unbelievable. That's why it's important to be sincere.

2. Consistent

A second element of a good reputation is organizing means of communication and actions that convey the same image and correspond with each other. Make sure that everything you put out adheres to the same message. This leads to a recognizable positioning and image among customers and other stakeholders.

3. Distinctive

In addition, it is important to enter the market with a unique perspective, so that it surprises external stakeholders. As an organization you make clear promises and you must distinguish yourself from the competition on a certain point. Ask yourself what is unique about your organization and work from there.

4. Transparent

It is also important to be open about the working method and approach to certain actions. Even if there are problems, it is important to communicate this in an honest, transparent manner. That actually creates trust.

5. Visible

The fifth point is that visibility is important for an organization's reputation. By being visible in various media you reach a larger audience and you as an organization are more discoverable for many stakeholders.

6. Responsive

Finally, it is important that you as an organization respond well and adequately and that you also recognize signals from the market. Communicating, providing feedback and responding are the building blocks of a good reputation for your organization.

Also read it difference between reputation and image and the reputation management step-by-step plan.

Glossary