Dream Systems Media Blog

Andy Beal

I want to thank Andy Beal for taking time out of his very busy schedule to answer some reputation management questions for me with this guest blog post today.  I have received, (and had on my mind) many questions about reputation management, and what normal businesses can do – including the reputation monitoring software Trackur, created by Andy.  I felt I needed to ask the person who IMO is the authority on reputation management.  Again, I really want to thank Andy for setting aside some time for me!

Why do YOU feel companies need to make reputation management a priority?

Companies need to pay attention to what their stakeholders have to say about their brand. A stakeholder could be a customer, employee, or even a business partner–anyone that interacts with your brand. Numerous studies prove that, as customers, we trust the reviews and opinions of others “like ourselves” and are less trusting of official corporate communication. With that in mind, it is vital that companies listen to the conversations and, if appropriate, join those conversations.

Reputation Management andy beal, brand management, Reputation Management, trackur

There is a lot of talk buzzing around the Internet of online reputation management, as well as brand management.  In most of the articles or blog posts I have read, I have noticed that people are confusing the two – almost blending them.  The two should not be blended, and each should have their own seperate marketing strategies.  I am hoping to give you a better idea of what the two are, so lets define them.

• By definition online reputation management – The act of monitoring, addressing or mitigating undesirable search engine results or mentions in online media for a company or product – http://www.anvilmediainc.com/search-engine-marketing-glossary.html
• By definition brand management – is the application of marketing techniques to a specific product, product line, or brand. It seeks to increase the product’s perceived value to the customer and thereby increase brand franchise and brand equity. (just doing it online) Wikipedia

Reputation Management brand management, online reputation management