Presentation at the Annual Management Retreat of the Christ Livingspring Apostolic Ministry (CLAM), Lagos. Nigeria.

1. Corporate Reputation and
Crisis Management
Strategies

3. Our Roadmap Today
 Perspectives on Corporate Reputation.
 Drivers of Corporate Reputation
 Benefits of a good Corporate Reputation.
 Reputation threats and risks.
 Crisis management
 Crisis Control and management strategies

4. Kick Off
“In these days of profound suspicion about business,
firms that can build & sustain reputation will get stronger.
Those that ignore reputation or fail to learn how to
cultivate it will fail. The moment you begin to draw
attention to the intangible & reputational dimension of
your business, you will achieve a higher level of success.
(Kevin Jackson).

5. It’s Our Choice
 The reputation of an organisation can either be
strong or weak, good or bad. Either way, the
choice is ours. Nobody is responsible for an
organisation’s reputation except the people who
manage the organisation. 98% of the issues that
make or mar an organisation’s reputation are
internally-oriented.

6. EVERYTHING COUNTS
Everything we say or do has effect on our
reputation. Issues such as recruitment, training,
performance appraisal, staff welfare, service
standards, communication, etc all contribute to
earning CLAM a good or bad reputation.

7. Our Reputation, Our Asset
CLAM’s reputation & brand equity is its most valuable
asset. Although it is an intangible asset whose value
cannot be easily quantified, a good reputation helps in
building brand loyalty, attracting new worshippers,
motivating employees, and winning public trust. Our
reputation is the only asset that cannot be copied or
duplicated by competitors.

8. We Can’t Survive Alone
No organisation exists in a vacuum. We
depend on the goodwill, acceptability,
patronage, and sympathy of our
stakeholders. All of these can only be
maximised if we deliberately and consistently
take care of our reputation.

9. Public Relations is a MUST
Roger Haywood (1984) says:
“Some organisations discuss whether they should have Public
Relations or not; they have no option. An organisation has no
choice whether to have Public Relations. All organisations are
communicating with all audiences that are important to them.
Whether they like it or not, all are listening to the reactions of
key publics to their activities.”

10. Embrace the Long-term Approach
An enduring corporate reputation is the only recipe for
sustainable organisational growth. We need to decide
whether to continue with the obviously flawed short-term
approach or embrace the more strategic and evolving
long-term approach to reputation management which
produces enduring results.


11. Survive the Pressure
Almost everything in Nigeria is focused on the
short-term. Reputation management is still not
a deliberate management function.

12. Say NO to Quick Fixes
Organisations must stop sacrificing their
reputation on the altar of profitability. Some only
care about stakeholder perception and their
reputation when there is crisis, either by their own
making or by external threats.

13. It Takes Time
There is no quick fix approach to building corporate
reputation. Quick fixes will produce immediate results
but leave organisations vulnerable to crisis. Jim Collins,
author of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make
the Leap and Others Don’t, said: “On the average, it
takes seven years to get to the point where a company
shifts from good to great”.

14. Importance of
Corporate Reputation
You won’t find it on the balance sheet. If you ask the
wizards on Wall Street exactly how it figures into company’s
net worth, be prepared for some blank stares. But, more
companies are now coming to realize that when managed
correctly, a good name can be their most valuable and
enduring asset.
(Fortune Magazine, February 10, 1992)

15. Class Test
Do you think the reputation of CLAM is:
 A. Good
 D. Bad
Illustrate your response with specific example(s).

16. Corporate Reputation Drivers
Our reputation is built and sustained not only by what we
say in the media, but also by other factors such as:
 Our Corporate Philosophy (Vision, Mission & Core
Values).
 Human Capital management policies and practices.
 Service Delivery standard.

17. Corporate Reputation Drivers
 Integrity of Top Management.
 Good corporate governance.
 Corporate Social Responsibility.
 Effective Corporate Communication.
 Stakeholders’ perception and opinion.

18. Corporate Reputation Drivers
Corporate reputation encompasses what we SAY
about CLAM, what we are actually DOING, and what
stakeholders perceive us to be doing.

19. Benefits of a Good Reputation
 It attracts more worshippers.
 It builds brand loyalty.
 It motivates employees
 It wins public trust, confidence and goodwill.
 It provides competitive advantage.

20. Corporate Reputation Threats
 Lack of a clear Vision, Mission & Values.
 Weak company culture
 Lack of team work and cohesion.
 Poor employee management practices
 Weak internal and external communication.
 Poor service delivery
 Poor stakeholder management practices.

21. Corporate Reputation Threats
 Corporate Social Irresponsibility/Insensitivity
 Lack of reputation audit.
 Absence of a crisis management strategy and
plan.
 Absence of a reputation management culture
and practice.

22. Class Assignment
Offer your own perspective or opinion on
Corporate Reputation and its relevance to
CLAM’S growth and development.

23. Class Discussion
Which of the corporate reputation threats
do you think applies to
CLAM?

24. Crisis Management
 A crisis is a negative development that has the
potential to directly or indirectly affect the
successful implementation of a plan of action.
 A crisis can be known (expected) or unknown
(unexpected).

25. Crisis Prevention & Management
As long as CLAM is managed by human beings, there
will be occasional mistakes, controversies, service
failures, etc. How we respond and proactively
manage these issues has implications for our
reputation.

26. Crisis Prevention & Management
Crisis prevention & management should be a core
aspect of our overall reputation management plan. A
reputation that has been carefully built for decades
may collapse within minutes of the occurrence of a
major crisis if there is no prior crisis and reputation
management plan in place.

27. Crisis Prevention & Management
Crises can be internally induced or externally
facilitated. Crises do not happen overnight; they
usually begin as ISSUES which, if not well managed,
fester and snowball into CONFLICTS and then CRISES.
Some crisis situations can be fairly predicted or
expected, while others are totally unexpected.

28. Case Study/Class Discussion
 Think of a crisis situation that occurred in
your Department/CLAM. What caused the
crisis? How was it managed? What were the
lessons learnt from the crisis? What
measures were put in place to prevent a
recurrence?

29. Crisis Triggers
 Friction among employees.
 Weak leadership.
 Bias/Partisanship by Management
 Non-compliance with the SOP or TACOS.
 Absence of an effective reward and punishment
system (performance appraisal).

30. Crisis Triggers
 Immoralities such as philandering and sexual
harassment.
 Gross misconduct by Management and staff.
 Gossip, slandering, backbiting.
 Disconnect between Management and stakeholders.
 Sloppy customer service

31. Crisis Prevention Strategies
 Constantly educate and re-orientate staff on the
corporate philosophy of the organisation.
 Identify, document, and communicate the likely crisis
touchpoints.
 Designate a staff/department for crisis and
reputation management issues.

32. Crisis Prevention Strategies
 Communicate, communicate, and communicate.
 Management should create the right environment for
staff to be committed to doing the right thing.
Leaders should lead by example.
 Proactively Identify and manage key stakeholders’
expectations.

33. Crisis Prevention Strategies
 Define and clearly communicate SOP/TACOS.
 Embark on regular brand audit and obtain feedback
from key stakeholders.
 Strive for excellence across all customer touchpoints.
 Have a communication and reputation strategy.

34. Crisis Control/Management
Strategies
 Assess the situation as quickly as possible. Speed is
key during crisis.
 Prepare a standard corporate response statement.
 Start first with employees. Brief them on what
happened and the standard response/official line.
 The organisation must speak with one voice; there
must be no discordant tunes.

35. Crisis Control/Management
Strategies
 Let the designated manager be the voice and face of
the organisation.
 Own up and admit your mistakes. Do not lie or
change the story.
 Identify key stakeholders, reach out to them, and
assure them of the plan you have put in place to
prevent a recurrence.

36. ARICE Crisis Control Formula
 Assess
 Report
 Implement
 Communicate
 Evaluate

37. The Crisis Management Framework
 Assess: The 5W and H of the crisis: Who? What?
When? Where? Why? How?
 Report: Document your findings.
 Implement: Take remedial action
 Communicate: Talk to your stakeholders. Be truthful
 Evaluate: Assess/Review the crisis

38. Summary/Conclusion
“Any company looking to create shareholder value must
have a clear reputation management strategy in place, or
else it risks seeing that value eroded and even destroyed. It
is not the share price, but the on-going sustainability of the
business and its reputation that are true, long-term
determinants of shareholder value”.
(Price Water house Coopers’ Study)

39. Recommendations
 Set up a PR Unit in the Senior Pastor’s Office.
 Develop an annual PR Strategy/Plan.
 Communicate the Plan to Staff and train them.
 Be proactive. Seize the narrative.
 Do good all the time.
 Communicate with stakeholders regularly.