Of course, these people are no more responsible for the reputation of their employers than any other of their colleagues beneath board level - which is where the reputation buck truly stops.
In managing their employer's reputation, did the banking PROs named in your article ever advise their wage-masters about the reputational dangers of lending to dodgy credit risks? Did they have a word in the chief executive's ear about the perception of greed and self-interest created by the doling out of huge bonuses? Or did they keep their heads down?
When is the PR profession going to stop claiming to be 'managing reputation' when most of the time it is either polishing turds or following the corporate nags on the road to hell with a bucket and shovel to clean up the mess they leave behind?
Richard Simpson, MD, Richard Simpson Associates.
