Reputation Notebook

Worth Noting: Consumer Actively Looking for Someone to Trust

I noted an interesting point of view in Ethical Corporation's CEO recent interview with Jeff Swartz of Timberland. In it, Swartz makes a case that the current business environment is actually an opportunity for brands, as consumers are actively looking for someone to trust. Here is an excerpt from the article and the link: http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?contentid=6451.

"Jeff Swartz, the ebullient leader of Timberland, has done more than most to show that sustainability can pay for a major brand. So his take on what the financial crisis means for responsible business is worth hearing.

"Instead of being a threat, Swartz says, the financial crisis offers a huge opportunity for brands with a sustainability message. With public trust in business at an all time low, brands able to convince consumers that they stand for something more than profit should thrive, he argues.

"Swartz warns brands not to underestimate the strength of anti-corporate feeling in North America and Europe. The anti-capitalist mood may have been best captured by protestors in London or activists who took a bus tour around the luxury homes of AIG executives in the US, but the sentiment is felt by many, he says. The anger many feel towards the finance sector could easily spill over to affect businesses in other troubled sectors. Put simply, business is facing a crisis of legitimacy.

"So how on earth could this be an opportunity for brands? Easily, says Swartz. A disaffected public is searching for someone to trust. A good way for brands wanting to meet this emotional demand is to show that they are committed to addressing social and environmental issues that resonate with customers. Brands that are open and honest about how they are tackling these challenges will win back the trust of consumers, Swartz believes."

A PR Legend Provides Context for the Profession -- Today and Tomorrow

We're in the thick of the communications industry award season, where there is plenty of applause to go around for the achievements of our own colleagues and our industry peers.  It's clear from the winners that programs with a social purpose and/or a digital flavor are currently capturing the attention of the judges.  While these events are a useful venue to get the current state of play in the industry, one event provided the backdrop of history  -- how far our industry has traveled to get to this stage.  It was at the annual awards luncheon for the Publicity Club of Chicago that I saw PR legend Betsy Plank receive the organization's Lifetime Achievement award.  It was a real treat to hear her views looking back at the changes in our profession, reflecting on more than 60 years in the business.  Surely it was a different world when Bety first started practicing PR, in the days before photocopiers, fax machines, voice mail, computers or the Internet.   When Betsy began in the profession, rising through the ranks at AT&T or holding a senior post at Edelman, PR pros learned their trade at the local paper's news desk or a wire service assignment desk, she said.  There were no disciplined studies for PR in the early days, but today more than 300 colleges and universities teach PR strategies, tactics and research.   "Disciplined study" is one of the marks of a true profession, she remarked.   She also observed that every true profession has "a fundamental commitment to society at large."   In her view, PR has delivered on this in its advocacy for transparency, trust and open engagement.   And she offered a subtle warning to us all in voicing her concern that technology may make meetings someday extinct.  "Relationships are the key," Betsy cautioned. "They provide us with the opportunity to judge the reactions, the connections and the character of the people with whom we do business." 

 

During her remarks she referenced Alexander Hamilton as the first true public relations professional for his role in getting the 13 colonies to ratify a single unifying Constitution.  I learned that Betsy had received the Alexander Hamilton Medal award from another industry group, the Institute for Public Relations.  I looked up her receipt of the award and discovered she delivered this inspirational quote for our profession:  "In my philosophy, public relations is fundamental to a democratic society where people make decisions in the workplace, marketplace, the community and the voting booth. Its primary mission is to forge responsible relationships of understanding, trust and respect among groups and individuals – even when they disagree!"