Reputation Rules

Daniel Diermeier, a professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, treats corporate reputation as an asset to be managed at the level of strategy. He points to the risk that one negative tweet or blog post can humiliate a company within seconds. The book sets out frameworks and processes for handling challenges from activist and political groups, managing scandals such as disputes over executive pay, using outside events to strengthen a reputation, and building reputation management into daily operations. Case studies include Shell's clash with Greenpeace, how Mercedes recovered from the Moose crisis, the fallout over AIG's executive bonuses and Wal-Mart's response to Hurricane Katrina, with lessons on what works and what fails.

Ronn Torossian, a crisis communications veteran and founder of 5W PR, said he finds Diermeier's analysis and tactics on reputation fascinating.