So I talk a lot about reputation management, because,well, it matters. When you have a strong, trusted reputation - one in which people believe in - it's tantamount to driving down a desolate highway (essentially, no one gets in your way and you can accomplish things you want with minimal resistance).
It strikes me that we are witnessing the beginning of this with WikiLeaks. Yes the government communications were interesting, but that was only the beginning of WikiLeaks beginning its path towards building a reputation as defender of the public trust.
Let's be honest, the public is split 50/50 on whether WikiLeaks is a good thing (actually probably more like 70 per cent who are not in favor of WikiLeaks) - many feel it should not be allowed to reveal confidential information. Many don't see it as a 'defender of public trust' and in fact see it as a rogue, irresponsible outlet for publishing information that should not be made public.
But I have a feeling that when WikiLeaks reveals leaked information from inside a US major financial firm soon, that they are going to win over a lot of the American public.
Right now I'd argue that if the government shut down WikiLeaks they might be able to get through the blowback from those who believe WikiLeaks is serving the public.
But if WikiLeaks peels back the mask that covers the true behaviors that caused the economic collapse of 2008, I think they will establish once and for all their value to the public - their reputation will achieve a positive status with the public and their ability to do what they do without interventions and legal concerns will grow drastically.
In the story I've linked to above, the quote form WikiLeaks' founder gives you a glimpse in to what's coming down the road....
"Assange says the site was receiving more documents than it could find resources to publish. And half those unpublished submissions, Assange says, relate to the private sector. He confirmed that WikiLeaks has damaging, unpublished material from pharmaceutical companies, finance firms (aside from the upcoming bank release), and energy companies, just to name a few industries."
The role of PR folks within organizations is going to become greater than ever as WikiLeaks grows, because CSR and reputation management are going to be key to ensuring that an organization's brand equity isn't destroyed in the market by leaked information.
I suspect over the next year we are going to see a few blue chip brands get tarnished beyond repair. For investors it might be wise to look more at small and mid cap stocks which will fly below WikiLeaks' radar. Or the encryption stocks (which will surely be in play as more and more information gets leaked).
It also strikes me that we are entering a brand new era of transparency. WikiLeaks is going to be very similar to the Bit Torrent phenomena. Sure, you can shut them down, but someone else will simply start a new version of WikiLeaks. Once something like this starts, it's impossible to stop it... the train has left the station if you will.
The era of whistle-blowing is upon us and this is only the tip of the iceburg.
So the question becomes how do you manage your organization within this context? I think the answer, as it always has been, is that PR and HR folks need to be working closely together and have a greater seat at the executive management table as it relates to operations - both these functions are adept at spotting things that will grow in to problems down the road.
It strikes me that we are witnessing the beginning of this with WikiLeaks. Yes the government communications were interesting, but that was only the beginning of WikiLeaks beginning its path towards building a reputation as defender of the public trust.
Let's be honest, the public is split 50/50 on whether WikiLeaks is a good thing (actually probably more like 70 per cent who are not in favor of WikiLeaks) - many feel it should not be allowed to reveal confidential information. Many don't see it as a 'defender of public trust' and in fact see it as a rogue, irresponsible outlet for publishing information that should not be made public.
But I have a feeling that when WikiLeaks reveals leaked information from inside a US major financial firm soon, that they are going to win over a lot of the American public.
Right now I'd argue that if the government shut down WikiLeaks they might be able to get through the blowback from those who believe WikiLeaks is serving the public.
But if WikiLeaks peels back the mask that covers the true behaviors that caused the economic collapse of 2008, I think they will establish once and for all their value to the public - their reputation will achieve a positive status with the public and their ability to do what they do without interventions and legal concerns will grow drastically.
In the story I've linked to above, the quote form WikiLeaks' founder gives you a glimpse in to what's coming down the road....
The role of PR folks within organizations is going to become greater than ever as WikiLeaks grows, because CSR and reputation management are going to be key to ensuring that an organization's brand equity isn't destroyed in the market by leaked information.
I suspect over the next year we are going to see a few blue chip brands get tarnished beyond repair. For investors it might be wise to look more at small and mid cap stocks which will fly below WikiLeaks' radar. Or the encryption stocks (which will surely be in play as more and more information gets leaked).
It also strikes me that we are entering a brand new era of transparency. WikiLeaks is going to be very similar to the Bit Torrent phenomena. Sure, you can shut them down, but someone else will simply start a new version of WikiLeaks. Once something like this starts, it's impossible to stop it... the train has left the station if you will. The era of whistle-blowing is upon us and this is only the tip of the iceburg.
So the question becomes how do you manage your organization within this context? I think the answer, as it always has been, is that PR and HR folks need to be working closely together and have a greater seat at the executive management table as it relates to operations - both these functions are adept at spotting things that will grow in to problems down the road.
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