Rehabilitating a damaged public image. This is one of the most popular topics that I am asked to address. From time to time, whenever controversy arises (and that seems to be more frequently, doesn’t it!) the question is presented: how does one rehabilitate or repair a damaged image? How can someone rebuild his or her reputation? Given such popularity, I am reposting this article from last year with the hope that you’ll again find it useful.
It takes time to rehabilitate one’s image: such a matter does not lend itself to a quick fix.
Many people hope that if they say the right thing at the critical moment all will be made good. That’s just not how the world works.
We, as human beings, form perceptions about other humans over time. This is the basis of reputation. If a person has made a major blunder, it equates to a big, negative hit against his or her reputation. This cannot be overcome with one press conference. No, the perfect statement at the perfect time will not wipe the slate clean. Instead, those in the audience will watch and observe, most likely in a cautious manner at first. Some will be inclined to forgive; others may become embittered permanently toward the person who made the major mistake. Over time, most people in the audience will adjust their assessments of the person in question.
So if the perfect words will not do the trick, what can rebuild a tarnished reputation? One word: actions.
Continue reading ‘Repairing a Damaged Reputation’
Jason Keeling and I will present “Business for Breakfast” at the Charleston Marriott’s Whitewater Grille tomorrow morning. That’s Friday, April 25, from 7:30-8:30 a.m. We surely hope to see you there!
Our focus will be Web 2.0: Blogs, Pods and Twitters — How Emerging Internet Technologies Can Enhance Business Communications.
We’ll be discussing the growing importance of blogs, podcasts, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. We will discuss the significance of these technologies to West Virginia businesses and organizations.
In a bit of an unconventional twist, we utilized a Web 2.0 tool, a Zoomerang survey application, to poll our audience in advance of the presentation to assess their familiarity, needs and expectations. Here’s what we learned:
Continue reading ‘Using a Web 2.0 Tool to Prepare a Web 2.0 Seminar’
It is always a pleasure to speak with the talented and energetic folks who are West Virginia’s ambassadors and leaders in travel and tourism. If you are visiting by way of our meeting at the West Virginia Association of Convention and Vistors Bureaus Annual Conference, I welcome you. And I cannot wait to hear about the launch of your own travel/promotion blog.
Here’s a link to my presentation slides. They are uploaded to Slideshare, and you can view them online or download them. [Please be sure to attribute quotes to appropriate authors. Thanks.]
This is what development looks like in the environment of a vibrant economy. The photo at left is the Boathouse Bistro in Morgantown, West Virginia. Sure, one might say, “anyone can build a new restaurant.” But if I had turned around and snapped another photo, you would have seen a shot of the new, under-construction Marina Tower office building. Connecting all of this is the Morgantown Riverwalk path. It is undeniably cool and convenient to be able to set out on foot from the Waterfront Place Hotel and walk to several appealing destinations, such as the ampitheater, the rail trail, Oliverio’s (and several other eating/drinking establishments) and around a dozen office locations. In addition to the capital injection downtown, there’s a $1.2 billion capital investment underway in the county with the new Longview Power plant.
Continue reading ‘Development and Capital Investment in Morgantown’
West Virginia University’s athletic department and its head football coach have decided to actively promote Pat White as a Heisman Trophy candidate. White, the Mountaineer’s talented and accomplished quarterback, has all the right stuff. He’s a great kid with a wonderful attitude, plus phenomenal athletic skills. Perhaps most importantly, he is a proven winner.
Details of the University’s decision (a no-brainer in my opinion) and Pat White’s credentials are well documented in today’s Daily Mail column by sportswriter Jack Bogaczyk.
Here’s my question to all of you marketing geniuses: What would you to generate publicity and create buzz in support of Pat White to maximize his chances of winning the coveted Heisman Trophy, college football’s top individual honor? Put your sports information director (or athletic director) hat on … and let’s have some suggestions. Please post your suggestions as a comment below.
By the way the award is decided by a voting process by the members of the Downtown Athletic Club of New York. It will be awarded in early December of 2008. More about the award here.
Cross-posted from the Maple Creative Marketing Genius Blog
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