• Bad branding
• Competitiveness and the City
• New look legal marketing in the UK
• Cloud needn't be a marketing nightmare
• Up, up and away
• Putting a value on corporate reputation
• Policing Bloggers
• I know my customers – perception or reality?
• Does the US media need a bailout?
• Online Annual Reports – a review of current activity among FTSE100 companies
• The Content Generation
• Typing out a change of personality
• Companies caught in the commission of journalism
• Reputation Rehab
• Cut out the jargon
• Sibos viewpoint - Thursday 17 September
• Regaining our seat at the table
• Sibos viewpoint - Wednesday 16 September
• Sibos viewpoint - Tuesday 15 September
• Sibos viewpoint - Monday 14 September
• Thought leadership is not for the risk averse or misaligned
• David Byrne - An impetus for change
• The Great Escape
• Frightening MBA advertising?
• The curse of the Were-Designer
• Banking on effective communication
• The corporate newsroom amid a web of excited utterance
• It’s not what you say it’s the way that you do it
• Slow down and think
• Spreading the word
• Silver linings?
• Design and Technology
• Papercut: How Companies Can Combat A Weakening Mass Media
• CNBC and Jim Cramer Underestimate the Influence and Reach of Social Media

In the past few weeks, a number of policy and economic experts have begun to vocally forecast the end of the recession.  If true, and business conditions really are easing, then it’s imperative that corporate management be consistent in how it communicates, both internally and externally.

Since September 2008, we’ve seen a vast range of actions and reactions regarding corporate behaviors, ranging from auto executives taking private jets, to AIG throwing lavish parties in Las Vegas, right through to today, with a concerted effort to usher in an era of contrition.  Reputations have suffered accordingly.  These developments have only increased the importance of consistent messaging and clear communication around issues.

Which brings us to a moment of reflection: while PR has strived over the last two decades to have a seat at the executive table, the past year has shown that blind management has run roughshod over PR and communications in general.  So how do we get our place at the table back?

An essential starting point must be to use a commonly-cited fiscal motto – “Cash is King” – and emphasize its messaging parallel – “Trust is King.”  Customers, rank and file employees and the general public have all become widely disenchanted with Corporate America and are looking for unvarnished truths to be told.  Execution is key, as both new and old mechanisms and tools will help to bridge the gap in stakeholder relationships.  How social media (new) intertwines itself in the world of communications and expressions of thought leadership (old), will strengthen and reinforce that sacred bond that will ultimately lead to us righting the ship in the eyes of our publics.

Rob Shapiro

rshapiro@greentarget.net