The Home Depot maintains a strong reputation through community relations, a clear identity, and attention to stakeholders. They manage social media successfully with daily engagement, creative customer interactions, and an informative blog. The company prioritizes employee relations with benefits, recognition programs, and profit sharing to build a competitive workforce. The Home Depot also has positive media relations through centralized communications that publicize community efforts and company news.

1. The Home Depot
A Public Relations Audit

2. Introduction
● Reputation Management
● Social Media Management
● Employee Relations
● Media Relations
Source: http://www.forbes.com/companies/home-depot/

3. Reputation Management
A reputation is a valuable asset that can allow a company to:
● Attract and keep quality employees
● Pay less for goods and services
● Cultivate a competitive advantage in the market
● Charge more for their products and services based on the perceived value of the
company

4. Reputation Management
The Home Depot’s recurring reputation management themes:
● Strong community relations to keep the company in a positive light
● Clear corporate identity
● Cognizant of stakeholder’s interests
“The economic impact of a reputation depends on what a company is
known for rather than simply how well it’s known” - Doorley & Garcia,
2015

5. Reputation Management
Source: https://corporate.homedepot.com/

6. Reputation Management
Source: https://corporate.homedepot.com/

7. Social Media Management
The Home Depot is successfully in its social media management for
multiple reason. The corporation is highly active on a day-to-day basis,
constantly engages customers in new and creative ways, and also utilizes
a blog to provide innovative and fresh ideas.

8. Social Media Management
The Home Depot’s recurring
social media themes:
1. Community Involvement
2. Customer Service
3. DIY/Improvement Projects
4. Workshops
5. The Home Depot Blog

9. Social Media Examples
Customer Service, Environmental Efforts, Community Involvement, and More!

10. Employee Relations
“People are our most precious asset”
“We consider our associates our biggest competitive advantage, and it's our
responsibility and privilege to take care of them. We do this by offering an array of
wellness and personal development programs: health benefits and screenings, tuition
reimbursement and financial aid for employees in need, to name a few. What's more,
through our Success Sharing profit-sharing for hourly associates, Homer Award
recognition programs and more, we financially reward associates who dedicate
themselves to our customers and embody The Home Depot values”

11. Employee Relations
Eight Values
1. Taking care of their people
2. Respect for all people
3. Doing the right thing
4. Building strong relationships
5. Giving back
6. Excellent customer service
7. Creating shareholder value
8. Entrepreneurial spirit

12. Employee Relations
● Homer Fund
● Benefits

13. Media Relations
“Media relations is one of the core disciplines in public
relations and corporate and organizational
communication, and it is often one of the most visible and
impactful” -Doorley & Garcia, 2015

14. Media Relations
● Press Kit
● News Release
● Paid media
Source: https://corporate.homedepot.com/newsroom

15. Media Relations
Source: http://wkrg.com/2016/11/12/jake-peavy-and-the-home-depot-pair-up-to-help-local-veterans/
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/park-ridge/news/ct-prh-family-ramp-tl-1201-20161129-story.html
Source: http://www.wjhg.com/content/news/Home-Depot-lends-helping-hand-to-Louisiana-flood-victims-390921231.html

16. Conclusion
● The Home Depot is excellent at maintaining a strong, positive reputation through
careful management of their brand’s identity and corporate identity, and through
their comprehensive knowledge of their constituents interests.
● The Home Depot is effective at managing a successful social media strategy that
generates an influential online presence with a constant stream of engaging
content that trail blazes the way for two-way communication between itself and
customers.
● The Home Depot has a strong and positive relationship with their associates
through their values, which creates a strong workforce.
● The Home Depot has a steady flow of positive media due to well centralized
communication between the media and the company, allowing their reputation to
stay strong.

17. Works Cited
● People Are Our Most Precious Asset. (2016). Retrieved from https://corporate.homedepot.com/responsibility/people
● The Home Depot. (n.d.). In Facebook [Group Page]. Retrieved November 29, 2016, from
https://www.facebook.com/homedepot/?fref=ts
● The Home Depot. (n.d.). In Instagram [Verified Account]. Retrieved November 29, 2016 from
https://www.instagram.com/homedepot/
● The Home Depot. (n.d.). In Twitter [Verified Account]. Retrieved November 29, 2016 from
https://twitter.com/HomeDepot?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
● The Home Depot. (n.d.). In YouTube [Channel]. Retrieved November 29, 2016 from
https://www.youtube.com/user/homedepot