Reputation Management – Friend or Foe

What has the world come to? Background checks are not enough anymore, now you have to management your reputation whether you’re an individual or a company, it almost sounds like something the CIA would partake in one of their black op campaigns.

Vital Computer Services has been approached by many clients in this regard, and although we don’t deny a skill set in this area, were picky of our clients and contracts we consider in this rather gray area. It’s sad but there are people who will do harm for their own betterment all in the name of money. But there is a more important side to this subject, and that is reputation and profile control, there are many people with the same name, companies with the same name, mistakes are made, errors occur, mis-directed non-intentional damage can occur with sometime no direct blame malicious intent, in other words sh*t happens.

So it’s not unimaginable for companies or individuals to seek out preventative measures to control mishaps, and accidental misinformation released unwittingly aimed at the wrong person for the wrong reason, or configuration of incidents that cause a black eye to any entity whether human or corporation, organization and or cause.

So good preventative measures that are not unreasonable in any way would be to setup an internet alert and have it emailed to a reputation management service. There are many types of alerts that can be setup, activated, managed and edited as need be, this would be the first step in the process, then a service with decent SEO and social media management skills would be necessary for damage control and reputation repair.

This is a very real concern in our society today, desperation breeds contempt, contempt breeds the imagination that falls under shadow intent and under the dark side of a human soul, this leads to ill intent and someone somewhere has been slandered for the wrong reasons, as if to say there are right reasons for which I personally don’t think there are, but being forewarned is being forearmed and professionally prepared for the darker side of commerce and business which has been around for millennia.

It does not seem fair that this type of insurance needs to be considered but a smart business or individual will take into account all sides of life and business, sometime the cost of a negative reputation or even a slight small article with negative value spread around at the right time by the right people or with the right media can cost an individual or company millions of dollars. So spending $5,000 – 10,000 dollars is not a big cost when you think of the damage it can prevent.

And with the new year starting a good idea is get at least a plan together by brain storming the possibilities, the variables involved and the type of business your in and what the cost of someone or something leaking an untrue and negative media bust against you or company, the cost of loosing business that you already have, or business your in the process of trying to capture.

It’s a VERY real thing! I hope I didn’t put a damper on anybodies holiday, but being prepared in today’s world is a big part of the battle, given the competition and a volatile market and weak economy, it should give any business owner something to think about.

The digital marketing industry is an evolving kaleidoscope of talent, mindsets and sometimes raw ambition, the intent of those who start out with a clean heart can become weary and vulnerable to the dark side of the ever changing and growing needs of public consumption and desires, money is not the root of all evil, but greed might be.