The Next Solutions Group’s Post

While I tend to be an optimist about the opportunities presented by AI, there is also a lot to unpack about the risks it poses for organisations of all sizes. Looking forward to heading down to CEDA's conference in Melbourne next week to discuss how corporate affairs teams can better prepare themselves for the eventuation of an AI-driven reputation attack. Like much else in comms, prior planning prevents poor performance and good crisis planning frameworks are key to navigating a worst-case scenario.

Should Your Company Weigh In On Controversial Events? 13 communications professionals from Forbes Communications Council help you answer this question, here are our favorite strategies. "It should be decided on a case-by-case basis, as it can have significant implications for a company's reputation. But, to start, remember to weigh in only on topics where you have expertise or which affect you directly. Don't weigh in on topics outside your knowledge and experience. Additionally, remember to analyze whether there are legal or regulatory reasons to speak out or remain silent." - María Amalia Rojas-Gjørup, Nord Comms "Organizations must navigate such waters with strategic finesse. Always evaluate the event's relevance to your brand ethos, the potential impact on your community and the authenticity of your voice in the conversation before taking a stand. Ultimately, the response (or silence) must align with your core values, your community, any laws and stakeholder expectations." - Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz "There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but organizations have a duty of care to their employees, customers and business operations, which may involve careful and nuanced communications that should align to the organization's core values. Communications to consider might be a media statement, a customer statement or just a safe place for employees to come together for support." - Karen Quinn, Finastra Check out the other 10 strategies by Mollie Wescott Barnett🚀 Namita Tiwari Sandra Pretorius, FCIM Monica Kumar Cade Collister Patrick Ward Leslie Poston, MPsy Ashleigh Chevalier Ken Louie Victoria Zelefsky https://lnkd.in/gzBsNfbX

Crisis preparedness – media engagement   There is much said for communications teams and organisations to be planning around future potential issues/crisis and reviewing different scenarios that might occur.  A regular review and update of processes, contacts and responses is absolutely key.      One of my best experiences and insights when working on an acquisition a few years ago, was involving journalists right from the start of our development of media and stakeholder responses – in addition to the traditional training of spokespeople.   What do I mean by this?    In discussion with our media training company, we evolved our current relationship to include a review of our draft responses. Our team was stretched managing lots of other internal stakeholder challenges around the acquisition, and an external review of our tone of voice, engagement and providing the right and relevant information at each phase was advantageous.   The benefits? 💡An external perspective on any “potential” corporate speak across our written communication that could jeopardise building trust and engagement 💡Access to top tier national broadcast and print journalists, who could bring their own perspective and experience to the table – having seen 1.000s of holding statements and issues responses 💡Insight into the information that media outlets want/expect at each stage of the scenario and the development of the right messaging and response 💡Integration and alignment of spokesperson commentary with written communications that is priceless and sometimes overlooked 💡Open and honest conversations between the communications team, management and spokespeople ensuring we were all aligned – building confidence and trust in each other, how scenarios would be handled and the communication/messaging   That little bit of extra focus, allowing your work to be critiqued and collaboration is well worth it.   If you’d like to discuss how we approached and managed it, then please comment, or connect with me. #crisiscommunications #issuesmanagement #communications

Interesting to apply AI in different ways to long-standing reputation and business measurement.

Fantastic analysis and takeaways on the recent report by the PRCA APAC Reputation Group titled ‘Reputation: The APAC Perspectives Report 2024’ from the always insightful Arun Sudhaman from PRovoke Media. #Report #Reputation PRCA APAC | PRCA

A new report delivers insights from 30 communications and PR leaders across Asia-Pacific, providing a compelling picture of the issues defining reputation management in the region. Produced by PRCA APAC, ‘Reputation: The APAC Perspectives Report 2024’ features viewpoints from in-house communications and PR agency leaders based in 14 Asia-Pacific cities, ensuring a welcome breadth of geographic diversity. In no particular order, here are five takeaways from the research: 🧩 Media fragmentation and trust issues are flagged by a number of the study's authors. The situation is worsened by social media algorithms that create echo chambers, spreading misinformation and intensifying societal polarisation. 💼 Several of the the report's contributors highlight how effective crisis and issues management starts by prioritising internal stakeholders. Employee engagement, accordingly, emerges as a critical means of navigating the VUCA era. 🤖 The rapid evolution of technology, particularly AI, alongside the intentional implementation of DEI practices, are identified as significant opportunities in terms of reputation management. While AI is seen as being to able to enhance productivity and creativity, DEI initiatives can drive positive societal change in Asia-Pacific. 🔍 All of the issues above also require a level of transparency and authenticity that has not always been prioritised in Asia-Pacific markets. This may sound obvious, but PRovoke Media's Crisis Review regularly reveals how authentic communication is too often overlooked, leading to ineffective reputation management and significant financial losses. ✅ While the scale of the 'ESG backlash' is not quite as significant as in Western markets, the report nevertheless advises a measure of caution amid the twin trends of greenwashing and green-hushing. Specifically, that means rising above superficial ESG efforts and genuinely committing to ethical behaviour. Organizations must align their actions with their stated values to build and maintain stakeholder trust — that this point is so clearly advocated suggests that it remains a challenge for many in the Asia-Pacific region. With thanks to the many contributors including: Kiri Sinclair, John Bailey, Darren Burns, Tara M., Carolyn Devanayagam, Ong Hock Chuan, Farah Jaafar, Margaret Key, Nitin Mantri, Lee Nugent, Joyce Peh, Angela Scaffidi Asia-Pacific Association of Communication Directors

This post is particularly interesting, stemming from Ragan and The Conference Board’s survey of communication and marketing professionals. While the piece focuses on internal staff and workplace culture, companies should consider the entire multi-stakeholder environment and its impact on reputation and behaviors. We are in an unprecedented time where political conversations and opinions are straining relationships. The biggest challenge in business and society today is that remaining silent, once the easy option, can now be even more damaging to corporate reputations. My advice is to adopt a real-time, continuous approach to monitoring stakeholders' perceptions and likely behaviors. This will help you stay attuned to your reputation and could mitigate potential risks. #stakeholdermanagement #reputationmanagement #corporatecommunications #reputation #corporatereputation   https://lnkd.in/gmfUZpwZ

Last week a senior strategy lead from a major Australian infrastructure company shared that their CEO constantly asks them: "How can we better connect with our frontline staff?" Despite investing heavily in multiple communication channels, they remain unconvinced these are driving meaningful engagement, largely because the data points are so flimsy and superficial, they have no idea what is cutting-through. Industry research indicates that even though a small percentage of consumers directly interact with a company's employees, those limited interactions have an outsized impact on building trust, admiration, and respect for that brand. But getting it the right information to the employees to build this reputational upside, relies on getting internal communications working. So, there's reputation upside in getting internal communications right. Employees can become powerful advocates, acting as a buffer during crises. But effective communications infrastructure is critical. I believe tools like Traffyk.ai which provide actionable insights derived from sophisticated analysis, can help unlock that advocacy potential. How well are your organisation’s communications channels connecting employees to strategy and purpose. Your people are your most valuable asset – are you getting the most out of your investment in them? What are your thoughts on the link between internal communications and external reputation? Are there any barriers holding your organisation back from accessing insights from your frontline teams?

social media managers play a crucial role in reputation management and crisis communication. In an era where news and opinions spread rapidly across social media platforms, businesses are vulnerable to both praise and criticism in the public eye. Social media managers must be adept at monitoring conversations, addressing customer concerns, and mitigating potential PR crises with transparency and professionalism. By proactively managing the brand's online reputation and swiftly addressing issues as they arise, social media managers safeguard the brand's credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of consumers. Hence, this post was done to make people aware about the topic I have taken and its importance.