Global Communications Leader Porter Novelli Launches Corporate Reputation Offering for the Social Media Era

NEW YORK, June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Porter Novelli today announced a new specialty created to help clients manage crises and competitive threats in the era of social media.  The agency's Real-time Reputation Specialty is an end-to-end offering that includes everything from preemptive communications to programs that restore corporate reputation after an incident.

The new reputation management group is led by a fully integrated team of specialists in corporate communications and social media.  The group will work with senior corporate communicators to plan for adverse events and move rapidly – within minutes – to manage these events both on-line and off, employing both conventional and digital means to mitigate possible damage to corporate reputation.

"A world where social media can damage hard-won reputations in mere minutes requires a fundamentally different way to practice crisis communications," said Gary Stockman, CEO of Porter Novelli, "one that pairs the speed and reach of social media itself with the insights and judgment of seasoned specialists in corporate affairs.

"Companies can experience a crisis at any time, and with little warning," Stockman noted.  "And when things happen, those companies need to be prepared and ready to respond in hours or minutes rather than days or weeks."

Porter Novelli's Real-time Reputation Specialty includes:

Vulnerability Audits to help companies assess potential problem areas and develop plans and content to avoid or mitigate adverse events.

Crisis Preparedness, ranging from message testing and collateral preparation to alliance-building and simulations – all geared to get companies ready to respond to crises and threats in real-time.

Early Warning Monitoring to track on-line chatter and sentiment, enabling the agency to alert clients of potential problems.  Included in this offering are new analytics, such as a proprietary Influencer Weight Score, to help companies determine what (or whom) they really need to worry about vs. something they can safely ignore.

"Go Teams" consisting not only of specialists in crisis communications, but also social media, customer support and internal communications.  These teams have an arsenal of digital tools, including consumer alert systems and analytics to measure changes in consumer sentiment and engagement.

Reputation Restoration.  An ideal outcome is the avoidance of events that can damage corporate reputation.  When that proves impossible, the agency can rapidly develop and implement plans – often powered by social media – to minimize damage and build back reputation.

"Today, how a company responds to a crisis or competitive threat can attract as much notice as the event itself," Stockman concluded.  "Our Real-time Reputation Specialty helps organizations manage these events to the best possible outcome – all in an environment that is as fast-moving and unforgiving as we have ever seen."

Companies interested in learning more about the new specialty can contact [email protected] or visit Porter Novelli on Twitter (@porternovelli), Facebook or at the agency's web site, www.porternovelli.com.  A blog on the topic of managing reputation in real time can be found on http://pnintelligentdialogue.com.

About Porter Novelli

A global public relations leader, Porter Novelli was founded in 1972 and is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC). In 90 offices in nearly 60 countries, Porter Novelli combines the power of immersion with the rigor of research to create deep human insights that enable us to transform the opinions, beliefs and behaviors of those who matter most to our clients. For additional information, please visit www.porternovelli.com.

SOURCE Porter Novelli