A reputation does not appear on the balance sheet, but it influences virtually every decision a company faces. It is built slowly, through hundreds of small decisions. It can, however, be called into question in a single day.
The speed at which information circulates has made crises faster and more public. The problem is rarely the initial mistake. It is how the organisation responds.
Companies that take responsibility, communicate transparently and demonstrate an ability to rectify mistakes recover more quickly. Companies that deny, conceal or delay explanations almost always exacerbate the impact.
Reputation does not depend on the absence of mistakes. It depends on how each organisation reacts when they occur.
In the end, people forget many campaigns. They rarely forget how a company made them feel during the most difficult times.
