This document summarizes a presentation about managing reputation online. It discusses how consumer opinions expressed online can impact a company's reputation, and recommends that companies proactively seek customer feedback through dedicated channels. It also suggests using metrics like Net Promoter Score to measure customer satisfaction and reputation, and promptly addressing any negative feedback online to prevent reputational damage.

1. Digital Communications Conference
Managing your reputation online
Mario Dolcezza, Managing Director, Diciamo

2. This Session - What we’re looking at
• How consumers influence our reputation
• How this translates into online content
• How to best deal with this online content
• Where the corporate world is going

3. Understanding Reputation
• What is reputation?
– Expression of underlying opinions that create a
sense of a company’s worth and values
• Who impacts on your organisation’s
reputation?
• Google defines an ‘opinion’ as:
– a personal belief or judgment that is not founded
on proof or certainty.

4. Understanding Opinions
• More often formed of personal experience
– Highly emotive and specific to the individual
• Are a perception of experience
– May have only a passing bearing on reality
• If your customers perceive it as a bad experience then it was
a bad experience
• Are an accumulation of experiences, interactions
and other opinions
– Negative opinions often occur after a series of
frustrations

5. How are opinions expressed?
• Through feedback
– Complaints
Online
– Forums/Rating sites
– Social media
• Word of mouth (person to person)
• Media
• Hearsay
• Taking action (voting with your feet)

6. My take on managing feedback
• Here’s a novel idea, if we want to know what people
think about us let’s ask them!
• Why do we need to trawl social media?
• Effective customer engagement and feedback channels do
the job.

7. Opinions/Feedback Online Channels
• Two Broad Channels for Feedback
– Invited and Uninvited
• Invited
– Closed system
• Accessible only by the company sponsoring feedback
• Uninvited
– Open Public system
• Forums
• Rating Sites
• Social Media
– Facebook
– Twitter

8. So, Addressing Feedback Online
• Create a platform for feedback
– Openly invite comment
• Designated website
• Twitter account
• Facebook Page
• Consider the exercise of managing feedback
– 1st as an exercise in looking after the customer
– 2nd an online PR exercise

9. So, Addressing Feedback Online
• Actively trawl open channels
– Use established tools to review
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Forums
• Rating Sites

10. Methodology for managing feedback
• React as soon as possible
– Prompt responses = conscientious company
• Acknowledge problem
– Don’t defend, don’t argue
– It’s about managing perceptions
• Take ownership
– Attach a name, give contact details
– Specify a date and time for next contact
• Keep to it!

11. Incorporating Metrics
• Corporations are converging on Net Promoter
Score (NPS™)
– “On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is definitely, how
likely are you to recommend our company to your
friends, family and colleagues?”
• Three broad category responses
– 0 to 6 = Detractors
– 7 & 8 = Passive/Neutral
– 9 & 10 = Promoters
– % of Promoters less % of Detractors

12. Analysis of NPS
• Proven Financial Impact as Established by LSE
For every business they analysed...
– 1 point increase in NPS = £9m increased sales.
– Increase of 7 points NPS = 1% increase in growth.
– Reducing negative NPS by 1% increased revenues by
as much as £24.8m.
– 2% reduction in Negative NPS = 1% increase in
growth.
• The LSE discovered that businesses that had relatively high positive NPS
scores combined with a low level of negative NPS scores grew 4 times as
fast as their contemporaries.

13. Summary
• Reputation is ultimately a reflection of your
customer approach
• Businesses must fundamentally have a customer
service culture
• Online content is merely one avenue of
expression
• Be proactive in seeking feedback and opinions
• Address customer concerns, change hearts and
minds
• Prevention is far better than cure

14. Digital Communications Conference
28 September, 2011