In this group project, we created a reputation management plan for a higher-education institution. I was the group leader for this project.

1. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 1
Full Sail University
Reputation Management Plan
Group 4:
Matt Gilhooly
Jessica Reschke
Carmelithia Roberts
PUR 6616: Corporate Reputation and Communication
Professor Donohue
April 9, 2021

2. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 2
Contents
Background....................................................................................................................................3
Stakeholders...................................................................................................................................3
Situational Analysis.......................................................................................................................4
Strengths....................................................................................................................................................4
Challenges.................................................................................................................................................5
Opportunities.............................................................................................................................................6
Vulnerabilities to Reputation .......................................................................................................6
Spokesperson Training .................................................................................................................7
Media Relations .............................................................................................................................8
Social Media..............................................................................................................................................8
Traditional Media .....................................................................................................................................9
Community Relations..................................................................................................................10
Future Plans.................................................................................................................................11
Roles for Assignment...................................................................................................................11
References ....................................................................................................................................13

3. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 3
When running an organization, it is crucial to prioritize managing reputation. In
Reputation Management, John Doorley and Helio Fred Garcia say, “Reputation is an asset and
must be managed like other assets” (Doorley & Garcia, 2021, p. 39). Because reputation holds
significant value, Full Sail University must establish a formal plan to manage reputation
regularly. The following document will highlight information about its stakeholders, provide
situational analysis and reasoning for a reputation management plan, and outline media and
community relations programs to maintain a positive reputation for Full Sail University. The
goal is to monitor and adjust processes to assure stakeholder perceptions align with Full Sail
University’s intrinsic identity.
Background
Full Sail University is a for-profit college located in Winter Park, Florida. The college
offers associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees focused on entertainment, media, art, and
technology industries. The company was founded in 1979 and provides students with innovative
education that focuses on career opportunities in various entertainment and media industries
delivered by a staff of educators with industry experience (Full Sail University, n.d.).
Stakeholders
The key to managing reputation is identifying major stakeholder groups (Doorley &
Garcia, 2021, p. 39). Each stakeholder group must feel supported and connected to the intrinsic
identity and core values of Full Sail University. As a for-profit organization, the university must
manage relationships with the following groups of stakeholders (Doorley & Garcia, 2021, p. 12).
• Students (primary stakeholder group) - revenue is dependent on maintaining a strong,
positive reputation with this group.

4. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 4
• Employees (primary stakeholder group) – members in this group are brand
ambassadors, and Full Sail University must maintain a positive reputation to attract
and retain skilled industry employees.
• ACCSC & Department of Education – Full Sail University must actively uphold
positive reputations with its accreditation body and government departments to
maintain accreditation and Title IV funding.
• Industry employers – Full Sail University commits to lifetime career placement for its
students, and as such, it must keep close relationships with employers across
numerous industries.
• Partners – Full Sail University works with many organizations to enhance the student
learning experience and its business. These relationships are critical for growth and
future partnerships.
Situational Analysis
Full Sail University must regularly analyze and adjust its communication tactics and
operational practices to ensure that its values match the perceptions held by many stakeholder
groups. This reputation management plan provides a guide for the organization to align these
principles and manage potential reputation problems, vulnerabilities, and opportunities (Doorley
& Garcia, 2021, p. 23). As the company focuses on maintaining its positive reputation, it is
essential to use its strengths to bolster the approaches to mitigate the challenges and
vulnerabilities identified.
Strengths
Full Sail University has a 40-year history providing innovative, hands-on educational
experiences to students interested in entertainment and media careers. The university only hires

5. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 5
educators with direct work experience in the courses that they teach. The long-term history and
employee connection to the industry add to its positive reputation as a lasting organization with
valued products and services. Recent accolades include the “Top Graduate & Undergraduate
Schools to Study Game Design” list by The Princeton Review and a 2020 “Top 50 Film
Schools” by The Wrap Magazine (Full Sail University, 2021).
Also, the university has relationships with industry employers and over 75,000 alumni
worldwide that have worked on award-winning projects, including OSCAR, Emmy, GRAMMY,
ADDY, MTV Video Music Award, and Video Game Award honors (Full Sail University, 2021).
These industry accolades contribute to a positive reputation in both academia and the
entertainment industry.
Challenges
Full Sail University’s most significant challenges relate to its for-profit university status
and admissions requirements. Research shows that students often earn less than public university
students, and 52% of undergraduate borrowers from for-profit colleges default on student loans
(Nova, 2019). Also, the ease of admission to for-profit schools leads to higher attrition and
failure rates. These areas present a reputation risk if Full Sail University gets grouped into a
category with less successful for-profit schools.
Full Sail University faces challenges stemming from potential legislation aiming to ban
access to federal grants and loans for-profit colleges (Nova, 2019). As many Full Sail University
students rely on federal aid, this predicament could challenge the company’s reputation if there is
no plan to provide funding to students that would otherwise receive government funding.

6. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 6
Opportunities
Full Sail University has numerous opportunities to partner with organizations in the
Orlando area to give back to the community. In Reputation Management, it concludes that
“benevolence, corporate citizenship, and social responsiveness” are vital to the purpose of
community relations (Doorley & Garcia, 2021, p. 209). Full Sail University's connections with
various organizations in its local community can convey those attributes and thus strengthen Full
Sail University’s reputation". The goal of these partnerships is to help those less fortunate so that
the local community can thrive and build the trust of Full Sail University in the community.
Vulnerabilities to Reputation
Full Sail University has potential vulnerabilities to its reputation due to its for-profit
status and ease of admission. As a for-profit university, its reputation risk is most significantly
related to other for-profit institutions in the news. For instance, there are numerous articles about
“manipulative behavior” used by for-profit colleges to maintain Title IV funding access. Full Sail
University must be mindful of these conversations and prepared to share perspectives and proof
to the contrary (Shiro & Reeves, 2021).
Due to low entry requirements, Full Sail University may attract students that have
struggled at other institutions. If these students continue to struggle, there is a chance that the
students will post negative comments on social media or engage with traditional media about
particular experiences.
Full Sail University must carefully monitor all traditional and social media discussions
about the industry, its name, and its students. In addition to monitoring these platforms, Full Sail
University must refer to its reputation management, issues management, and crisis
communication plans when specific situations arise.

7. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 7
Spokesperson Training
Full Sail University has a wide range of stakeholders to develop strong relationships with
to maintain a positive reputation. The university identified the following individuals as
spokespersons to address the media and interact with other stakeholder groups. In a majority of
traditional media interactions, Garry Jones will be the spokesperson for the university. Dr. David
Franko and Shayne Cade are available for specific education questions or inquiries of
compliance. The social media team members collectively represent Full Sail University's
authentic brand voice on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
• Garry Jones – President
• Dr. David Franko – VP Academic Affairs
• Shayne Cade – Director of Compliance
• Social media team
Full Sail University trains each spokesperson to provide communication that aligns with
its core values, maintaining reputation across all stakeholder groups. Full Sail University offers
these spokespersons media training, crisis communication training, and general presentation
skills training. In 2020, Full Sail University added virtual workplace training for Zoom and
Skype interviews and communication protocols. Across all methods, spokespersons are equipped
with updated information and how each communication, process, or procedure directly aligns
with the organization’s core guiding principles. Throughout the training, spokespersons learn
how to seamlessly weave Full Sail University’s key messages into an interview no matter what
questions the media asks (Redzia, 2020).
Full Sail University also implements a formal non-spokesperson media training program.
This training builds confidence in employees and provides the ability to answer questions

8. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 8
without missing the opportunity to deliver the key message (Roznowski, 2020). In most cases,
these non-spokespersons will direct the inquiries to the appropriate person.
Media Relations
Social Media
Social media plays a crucial role in engaging audiences and establishing a reputable
brand. According to Sprout Social, 57% of consumers seek information about services and
products through social media channels (Barnhart, 2021). Therefore, Full Sail University can use
social media to attract future students and engage with current students or alumni.
Currently, Full Sail University has a prominent social media presence through its Instagram,
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels. Across all of its social media channels, Full Sail
University posts at least one time a day with new information or a general call to action. Most
importantly, the social media team is quick to respond to comments and questions, often
responding within 10 minutes of an initial comment or post. To maintain a strong reputation with
potential students, the community, and governing bodies, the social media team should set
standard response times for positive and negative reactions on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and
YouTube to prevent reputation risks. It should also adhere to a regular editorial calendar (such as
scheduling posts through Buffer or Hootsuite) for its social media posts to help audiences learn
more about the university’s offerings.
While Full Sail University has successfully used social media to engage its audiences and
promote the school, there is always room for improvement. Full Sail University can boost its
social media engagement and build its reputation by increasing its number of followers and
posts’ reactions. Analysis of Full Sail University’s social media pages shows that the number of
likes fluctuates up and down but does not steadily increase. The social media team can analyze

9. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 9
the types of posts that generate the most likes and attract new followers and then plan to increase
those types of posts. For instance, on March 10, 2021, Full Sail University posted about a
giveaway to win Apple products. This post generated 1,449 likes (Instagram, 2021). While it
may not be feasible to regularly offer big giveaways, presenting smaller promotions or non-
monetary rewards can increase engagement and attraction to the pages.
Full Sail University should also consider:
• Increasing diversity throughout social media channels – for instance, on its
Facebook page, some posts are in Spanish, but this approach lacks consistency.
• Co-branding on social media with other organizations and promoting its potential
connections with The Coalition for the Homeless, One Heart for Women and
Children, YMCA, and Boys & Girls Club.
Additionally, Full Sail University can use social media to strengthen its internal
communication efforts. For example, Full Sail University can use a private and monitored
Facebook page, or a Slack channel, to keep staff members up to date on recent news and promote
staff activities. This internal communication channel would align with the non-spokesperson
training noted above.
Traditional Media
Full Sail University will continue its use of traditional media to highlight new
partnerships and educational initiatives. The public relations team engages with journalists and
local, national, and global media entities to pitch stories. Depending on the story’s focus, the
public relations team engages one of the three main spokespersons to participate in an interview
or provide a quote. For instance, in a press release from March 2021, Garry Jones provided a
quote about a new partnership with Orlando Health regarding Full Sail University’s eSports lab

10. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 10
(Full Sail University & Orlando Health, 2021). This press story garnered numerous placements
on local news channels, traditional newspapers, and shared media on many social media
platforms from sports enthusiasts, health professionals, and students. Full Sail must continue to
use its spokespersons strategically in traditional media relations activities to influence more
shared and earned media.
Community Relations
Full Sail University is committed to building a meaningful reputation in the community
by applying strategies focused on building sustainable and ongoing relationships with key
individuals, groups, and organizations. Full Sail University implements practices and procedures
that anticipate and respond to community expectations, concerns, and issues and focuses on
programs designed to strengthen the community’s quality of life (Doorley & Garcia, 2021, p.
216).
The university will offer educational programs, such as after-school, spring, and summer
camps, for underprivileged children through partnerships with The Coalition for the Homeless
and One Heart for Woman and Children. In these organizations, children face a variety of
challenges that affect their daily lives in Central Florida (One Heart for Woman and Children,
n.d.). Through its partnership with these organizations, Full Sail University will provide
educational opportunities designed to inspire future career interests and motivations for children
facing hardships in the local community.
Full Sail University’s faculty, staff, alumni, and students are pivotal to its community
relations initiatives. As part of the Global Professionalism Standards (GPS) program at Full Sail
University, students will also receive credit for their contributions to the educational camp by
participating in roles varying from teaching to mentoring to general camp staff responsibilities.

11. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 11
The corporate social responsibility (CSR) program for Full Sail University aligns with its
core guiding principles and business goals. The new educational camp program protects and
enhances reputation, brand equity, and community trust. It also attracts, motivates, and retains
talent while developing new business opportunities, expanding a network of potential students,
and creating a more secure and prosperous operating environment (Doorley & Garcia, 2021, p.
367).
Full Sail University will also maintain an annual campaign dedicated to positioning its
image and brand professionally and positively while building partnerships with sponsors and
donors. Full Sail University plans to continue partnering with local non-profit agencies (YMCA,
Boys & Girls Club, etc.), local media and entertainment organizations, and radio stations to
promote its CSR initiatives, such as its educational camps. In return, these campaigns create free
marketing and publicity, building stakeholder relationships that garner support and donations.
Future Plans
As this plan focuses mainly on social media, community relations, and media relations
aspects of reputation management, Full Sail University anticipates expanding this plan to include
employee relations and government relation strategies. Each area represents identified primary
stakeholder groups. The company recognizes that it must manage each stakeholder relationship
like an asset (Doorley & Garcia, 2021, p. 39). However, choosing the areas in this plan first
allows the company to analyze its effectiveness and adjust future plans and policies.
Roles for Assignment
In two Zoom sessions, all team members brainstormed ideas for the activity. Matt
Gilhooly focused on the company background, spokespersons section, and situational analysis.

12. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 12
Jessica Reschke worked on the media component, and Carmelithia Roberts wrote the Corporate
Social Responsibility/Community Relations section. All parties contributed to proofreading and
editing.

13. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 13
References
Barnhart, B. (2021, February 15). Reputation management: How to stay in good standing with
your audience. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-reputation-
management/
Doorley, J., & Garcia, H. F. (2021). Reputation Management (4th ed.). Taylor & Francis.
Full Sail University. (n.d.). About. Retrieved April 7, 2021, from https://www.fullsail.edu/about
Full Sail University. (2021, January 26). Full Sail University Graduates Contribute to
Nominated Releases at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards.
https://www.fullsail.edu/press-releases/2021/full-sail-university-graduates-contribute-to-
nominated-releases-at-the-63rd-annual-grammy-awards
Full Sail University & Orlando Health. (2021, March 16). Orlando Health Secures Naming
Rights and Partnership with Full Sail University’s Esports Arena. Full Sail University.
https://www.fullsail.edu/press-releases/2021/orlando-health-secures-naming-rights-and-
partnership-with-full-sail-universitys-esports-arena
Instagram. (2021, March 10). https://www.instagram.com/p/CMQlzLQgWAh/
Nova, A. (2019, October 23). Bill would make for-profit colleges ineligible for federal student
loans. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/23/bill-would-make-for-profit-schools-
inelgible-for-financial-aid.html
One Heart for Woman and Children. (n.d.). One Heart for Women and Children - Helping
people in Orlando area One Day a Time. Retrieved April 8, 2021, from
https://www.oneheartforwomenandchildren.org/

14. FULL SAIL REPUTATION MGMT PLAN 14
Redzia, M. (2020, August 12). 5 Reasons Your Spokespeople Need Media Training in 2020. 3E
Public Relations. https://www.3epr.com/5-reasons-your-spokespeople-need-media-
training-in-2020/
Roznowski, D. J. (2020, July 3). NON-SPOKESPERSON MEDIA TRAINING CRITICAL FOR
PROTECTING REPUTATION. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/non-
spokesperson-media-training-critical-protecting-roznowski-apr/
Shiro, A. G., & Reeves, R. V. (2021, January 12). The for-profit college system is broken and the
Biden administration needs to fix it. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-
we-rise/2021/01/12/the-for-profit-college-system-is-broken-and-the-biden-
administration-needs-to-fix-it/