There is so much data all around us. So much data that sometimes you may not see everything you need to see in order to make informed business decisions. Learning to coexist with big data is as important as understanding the importance of using social media for business and monitoring online conversations about the brands, people or topics that are important to you.

Professionals want to be successful at whatever they pursue, but that’s not easy to do when you don’t have the information you need or if you don’t understand how to interpret this data for your organization, or for your industry. A post on GigaOm argues in favor Data Scientists, those who are skilled enough to decipher what data reveals to business:

Like storytellers, data scientists embody the heart and soul of an organization and find ways to make it better. Every organization is going to employ someone whose responsibility is to use data to drive automated decision systems. With time, the decisions these data scientists make will become obvious and can be automated. Today’s decision makers get to spend time on more important jobs we haven’t even thought of yet.

We need data scientists, and we need hundreds of thousands of them.  They will do their magic, create new ways of experiencing life, products and services and, as Kevin Kelly says, “dream up new work that matters.”

Now let’s take this a few steps further. The Harvard Business Review (HBR) calls the Data Scientist a “key player in organizations”. HBR goes on to say a data scientist is…

“a high-ranking professional with the training and curiosity to make discoveries in the world of big data. The title has been around for only a few years. (It was coined in 2008 by one of us, D.J. Patil, and Jeff Hammerbacher, then the respective leads of data and analytics efforts at LinkedIn and Facebook.) But thousands of data scientists are already working at both start-ups and well-established companies. Their sudden appearance on the business scene reflects the fact that companies are now wrestling with information that comes in varieties and volumes never encountered before. If your organization stores multiple petabytes of data, if the information most critical to your business resides in forms other than rows and columns of numbers, or if answering your biggest question would involve a “mashup” of several analytical efforts, you’ve got a big data opportunity.

There’s no escaping big data. What you every day contributes to big data. For all we know, collecting and interpreting big data may one day be an integral part of social media monitoring.

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

Henry David Thoreau

 At some point Digital Scientists will figure out ways to get value out of the digital mounds of raw data being stored. Your job may one day involve learning how to handle and interpret some aspect of the new streams of data your business collects. When it comes to online reputation management and big data, who knows what the future holds.

How might the intersection of big data and social media monitoring help your business see better?

Did you know that 3 out of 4 smartphone users have used the mobile browsers on their smartphones to connect with businesses online?

Well, it’s true!

Just look around you at any given time, as you go about your day and count the number of people preoccupied with their smartphone. Today’s smartphones are much, much more than the cell phones of yesterday and the technologies that make the mobile experience so addictive are becoming more advanced.

Mobile is where your business needs to be.

Every business should be online because that’s where customers and potential customers spend their time. Consumers are constantly searching for information, leaving reviews or sending some other form of digital communication from their smartphones and developers are constantly innovating. With advancements in smartphone innovation showing no sign of slowing down, and smartphone users craving to get their hands on the next best mobile device, businesses have to keep up with best practices to give their business an edge over competition.

Stay Open  

If you want your business to stay open and remain relevant, it’s important to understand how current and future customers use all things digital. This means you should have an idea of how your customers use their mobile devices and pay close attention to digital trends. An easy way to get a feel for this is to pay attention to how you, family and peers use mobile devices as new innovations alter the way you use smartphone and other mobile devices. Does your mobile norms shift? What new mobile habits do you develop? What mobile habits do you retire?

On The Go

We live in an on the go world. What do you use your smartphone for?

• Text messaging
• Internet browsing
• Emailing
• Gaming
• Social Networking
• Navigation (e.g., Maps)
• Video Watching
• Tweeting
• Apps
• Calling

Pew Internet’s November 2012 report found that 85% of American adults own a mobile phones and use their mobile devices for far more than making and receiving phone calls.

Reputation Takeaways

Businesses can no longer look at equipping employees with smartphones as a luxury. Smartphones are necessity, a must-have for profit and not for profit organizations large and small. Decision makers have to understand that if they want to compete in these real-time, always on times, they must equip their employees with the appropriate mobile devices to be able to compete.

A reputation is no longer simply at the mercy of information that travels by word of mouth. Taking care of your reputation is critical–especially now that smartphones are being used to exchange information in real-time. I’m sure you don’t want to set your business up for failure. I encourage you to carve out your own presence online, use social media monitoring  and know how smartphones and other mobile devices are being used.

How does your business leverage smartphones?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it successfully resolved and closed the antitrust investigation into the business practices of Google, the internet search leader.

What looks like a solid victory for Google has left some of Google’s competitors stunned or at odds with the FTC’s findings. Those who expected or yearned for the antitrust gavel to come down against Google were troubled by Google’s ability to escape the FTC’s antitrust investigation without much harm to its reputation and without being hit with a hefty fine.

Antitrust 101

Since the entire antitrust investigation hinges on antitrust laws and their application, a clear understanding of anti-trust law is a must to understand what is really at stake for consumers, for Google, and for the FTC. A brief history of antitrust laws describes how at one point in history large business organizations formed trusts to flex their competitive powers in the marketplace. The Sherman Act (1890), which put a stop to large trusts monopolizing or manipulating the marketplace and distorting competition, the Clayton Act (1914) which outlawed price discrimination, prevents competitive threats like excessive dealings or tying agreements while personally holding execs liable and the Federal Trade Commission Act (1914) which gave birth to the FTC, are an integral part of all antitrust inquiries.

The FTC’s Antitrust Laws aim to promote & protect “free and open markets” which the FTC believes are the foundation of a growing economy. The FTC has the authority to investigate and stop unfair methods of competition and deceptive business practices. If business practices stifle competition or deceptive or manipulative, it’s probably not in alignment with Antitrust Laws.

Antitrust Investigation Closed

Close to two years of intense antitrust investigations boiled down to a two part landmark agreement between Google & the FTC:

1. With regard to competition, the FTC found that Google had misused patent protections to prevent competition. Google agreed to change business practices that could throttle competition in search advertisement, smartphones, tablets, and gaming. The FTC pledged to make sure that this form of anticompetitive behavior has come to an abrupt end where Google is concerned.
2. With regard to the allegations that Google unfairly altered search results in their favor to hamper competition, the FTC closed the investigation, finding the evidence did not support the claim. The FTC noted that the evidence also did not support the notion that Google displays its own content more prominently on its search pages. The FTC also indicated this part of the investigation was undertaken without merit.

Google will also publish the contents of this agreement on its website, and make it easily accessible to visitors.

These are the main findings after the FTC’s received 9 plus million pages of documents from Google & others, sworn testimony from Google executives, and relevant individuals from within the search industry. Google agreed to abide by the FTC’s agreement and will more than likely demonstrate its good intentions by going beyond these requirements.

There are critics who don’t agree with the FTC’s landmark agreement with Google. Edward Wyatt of the New York Times points out that some who openly criticize the FTC’s findings argue the FTC’s decisions were flawed because it examined and focused on the wrong information. Wyatt reports Google’s competitors and their perspective believe “the government should have looked at whether Google’s actions harmed its real customers — the companies that pay billions of dollars each year to advertise on Google’s site” instead of considering harm to consumers who use Google’s search information. The debate continues…

For Reputation

When it comes to Online Reputation Management (ORM), it looks like Website Administrators, Inbound Marketers and other digital professionals who handle Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Search Engine Marketers (SEM) will have more ways to control how they appear in Google’s services beyond search (e.g., Google+, Local). Google will allow websites to opt out of Google’s other services, leaving their search rankings in Google’s search engine as they are organically without penalty. This may become a helpful tool when a search engine results page (SERP) doesn’t reflect the preferred online presence.

More AdWords Advertisement Flexibility: Google will remove current Adwords API Terms & Conditions and digital advertisers will be able to run advertisement campaigns on other advertising platforms and collect campaign management data external to Adwords. Consumers will be able to opt out of having their content featured on any of Google’s services other than search. This is a plus…a win for consumers, marketers and anyone working to build, repair or tweak their online reputation.

Read the letter from Donald Drummond, Google’s Senior VP of Corporate Development & General Counsel to the FTC’s Chairman Jon Leibowitz.

For Google

Google can continue to expand its business offerings as it move forward freely now that the FTC’s antitrust and anti-competition is in its rear view mirror. Google has faced legal woes in the past, and their passion to continually innovate and continue to push the envelope may continue put their Google’s reputation at risk. This is the reality technology innovators accept as technologies evolve and new innovations are born. Think if it as innovations price -the price that must be paid to innovate or to be an industry leader.

Google still has to uphold its part of the agreement or it will find itself back under the antitrust microscope.  Google’s about page says: Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. As long as Google continues to offer more than search, its works beyond search will remain a perfect way to remind competitors and consumers about Google’s culture and ethos. Google can allow its goodwill to speak volumes on its behalf, like its recent free Wi-Fi announcement for the South West Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan on the heels of the FTC’s findings. Consumers love freebies, especially those that make managing their professional and personal lives a little easier and less costly.
What do you think about this landmark agreement between Google & the Federal Trade Commission?

Last year is behind you and before you is a brand new year – a new chance to do something different.

It’s time to refresh yourself.

Time to go beyond simply updating a bio or online profile. This is a great time to take inventory (check your soil) and plant new seeds (create new ways to flourish) in 2013. Remember, the little white lies you tell yourself have a way off accumulating and coming back on your reputation with a vengeance.

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines refresh as: to restore, to update or renew. As you consider refreshing the way others perceive you, know that the goal of refreshing is to take what you have and improve upon it. Dig down deep, keep your eyes wide open and work on whatever you find.

Dig Deeper

Gather up the courage to dig deeper in 2013 and you will reap what you sow.  By deeper I mean focusing your attentions on matters that are not superficial, yet will refresh your appearance on paper, online and offline. By deeper I mean, taking personal inventory and being courageous enough to look at what you uncover about yourself as a person, as a professional or as an organization. For a true refreshing to take place you have to be willing to overcome the negative patterns, habits and behaviors that don’t match up with the life you want to live or lifestyle you want to reflect or the ethos (the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution) you want to be known for or linked to.

If you are willing to look at what you do well and what needs your attention, spend time thinking about how you can make 2013 better, and then make necessary changes in order to keep growing personally and professionally, your outcome (harvest) will be greater than you expected.

Your reputation will improve.

People will begin to see you in a different light.

 The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who would have turned 84 this year once said:

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

There is never a wrong time to make corrections or change direction. Refreshing your reputation will mean something different to every person or organization. Still, as you engage in the process of refreshing yourself you will begin to view things differently or consider options that never came up before.

This brings to mind another quote Dr. King also said:

“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”

You craft your personal and professional history, and in a way, the Web is there to make sure you never forget it. There’s no going back. You can’t turn back the hands of time to change what you did or didn’t do last year. That history will remain as it is. But, you can decide that you will be aware of your thoughts, patterns, behaviors and actions in 2013. What you have is this moment and the next and the next to do something new. To do something that will enhance or improve your reputation going forward. You have now!

Be present in the moment, work to mend relationships or create new connections this year so that you remain true to your goals. As you look to refresh your reputation online and in the minds of others offline, you’ll come face to face with the fact that improving your reputation depends on how you carry yourself and how you present yourself to the World Wide Web is only a part of it. Let’s dig deeper this year and leave the lives we touch and this businesses we connect with better along the way.

Do you believe improving your reputation all begins and ends with you?

Instagram, a wildly popular photo sharing App for iPhone and Android smartphones made some changes to their Privacy Policy and Terms of Service earlier this week that inadvertently kicked off a reputation implosion.

In a nutshell, under the proposed changes to Instagram’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, Instagram would be able to sell/use users’ pictures in advertisements and any images uploaded to Instagram would no longer be owned by users. Instagram users were completely caught off guard by these proposed changes.

Within hours streams of conversations were flowing heavily on social media networks which encouraged others to delete their Instagram accounts in protest, out of outrage or out of principle. Step-by-step instructions detailing how to delete your Instagram account and switch to Instagram alternatives were circulating the Web. Many expressed their outrage and feelings of betrayal on social networks, blog posts or decided to demonstrate their outrage by downloading their photos and deleting their Instagram account. An Instagram exodus was underway and the outrage was amplified by celebrities who were stunned by Instagram’s decision.

Then, Instagram’s co-founder, Kevin Systrom, responded in a blog post indicating that Instagram got the message loud and clear.  Kevin Systrom’s blog post follows:

Yesterday we introduced a new version of our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service that will take effect in thirty days. These two documents help communicate as clearly as possible our relationship with the users of Instagram so you understand how your data will be used, and the rules that govern the thriving and active Instagram community. Since making these changes, we’ve heard loud and clear that many users are confused and upset about what the changes mean.

I’m writing this today to let you know we’re listening and to commit to you that we will be doing more to answer your questions, fix any mistakes, and eliminate the confusion. As we review your feedback and stories in the press, we’re going to modify specific parts of the terms to make it more clear what will happen with your photos.

Legal documents are easy to misinterpret. So I’d like to address specific concerns we’ve heard from everyone:

Advertising on Instagram From the start, Instagram was created to become a business. Advertising is one of many ways that Instagram can become a self-sustaining business, but not the only one. Our intention in updating the terms was to communicate that we’d like to experiment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram. Instead it was interpreted by many that we were going to sell your photos to others without any compensation. This is not true and it is our mistake that this language is confusing. To be clear: it is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear.

To provide context, we envision a future where both users and brands alike may promote their photos & accounts to increase engagement and to build a more meaningful following. Let’s say a business wanted to promote their account to gain more followers and Instagram was able to feature them in some way. In order to help make a more relevant and useful promotion, it would be helpful to see which of the people you follow also follow this business. In this way, some of the data you produce — like the actions you take (eg, following the account) and your profile photo — might show up if you are following this business.

The language we proposed also raised question about whether your photos can be part of an advertisement. We do not have plans for anything like this and because of that we’re going to remove the language that raised the question. Our main goal is to avoid things like advertising banners you see in other apps that would hurt the Instagram user experience. Instead, we want to create meaningful ways to help you discover new and interesting accounts and content while building a self-sustaining business at the same time.

Ownership Rights Instagram users own their content and Instagram does not claim any ownership rights over your photos. Nothing about this has changed. We respect that there are creative artists and hobbyists alike that pour their heart into creating beautiful photos, and we respect that your photos are your photos. Period.

I always want you to feel comfortable sharing your photos on Instagram and we will always work hard to foster and respect our community and go out of our way to support its rights.

Privacy Settings Nothing has changed about the control you have over who can see your photos. If you set your photos to private, Instagram only shares your photos with the people you’ve approved to follow you. We hope that this simple control makes it easy for everyone to decide what level of privacy makes sense.

I am grateful to everyone for their feedback and that we have a community that cares so much. We need to be clear about changes we make — this is our responsibility to you. One of the main reasons these documents don’t take effect immediately, but instead 30 days from now, is that we wanted to make sure you had an opportunity to raise any concerns. You’ve done that and are doing that, and that will help us provide the clarity you deserve. Thank you for your help in making sure that Instagram continues to thrive and be a community that we’re all proud of. Please stay tuned for updates coming soon.

Sincerely,

Kevin Systrom co-founder, Instagram

 In a swift about face, Kevin Systrom took to Instagram’s blog once more to speak directly to Instagram users explaining Instagram updated their Terms of Service due to the feedback.

Kevin Systrom’s full comments follows:

Earlier this week, we introduced a set of updates to our privacy policy and terms of service to help our users better understand our service. In the days since, it became clear that we failed to fulfill what I consider one of our most important responsibilities – to communicate our intentions clearly. I am sorry for that, and I am focused on making it right.

The concerns we heard about from you the most focused on advertising, and what our changes might mean for you and your photos. There was confusion and real concern about what our possible advertising products could look like and how they would work.

Because of the feedback we have heard from you, we are reverting this advertising section to the original version that has been in effect since we launched the service in October 2010. You can see the updated terms here.

Going forward, rather than obtain permission from you to introduce possible advertising products we have not yet developed, we are going to take the time to complete our plans, and then come back to our users and explain how we would like for our advertising business to work.

You also had deep concerns about whether under our new terms, Instagram had any plans to sell your content. I want to be really clear: Instagram has no intention of selling your photos, and we never did. We don’t own your photos – you do.

Finally, there was also confusion about how widely shared and distributed your photos are through our service. The distribution of your content and photos is governed by our privacy policy, and always has been. We have made a small change to our terms to make that as clear as possible.

You can view the current terms and privacy policy, as well as review the updated terms and privacy policy that will take effect on January 19, 2013.

I’m proud that Instagram has a community that feels so strongly about a product we all love. I’m even more proud that you feel empowered to be vocal and approach us with constructive feedback to help us build a better product. Thank you for your feedback, and I look forward to all that Instagram has to bring in the New Year.

Thank you,

Kevin Systrom co-founder, Instagram

Lessons:

This seemingly snap decision has left some Instagram users wondering if this was some sort of bait and switch or if Instagram was hoping to slide these changes past users while they were preoccupied with holiday preparations. Instagram competitors are the big winners in Instagram’s stumble – they are always happy to receive the influx of users who have jumped ship from a competitor.

Instagram is learning a painful lesson about decisions, relationships and communication. Any management decision that comes out of left field will leave users feeling used or trampled upon, which isn’t good for a growing business or brand. It’s a bit naive and just too risky. Unless your goal is to create a digital outcry that will shake a reputation to its core, users must be valued and respected, even if the service or solution provided is free.

There must always be a high level of respect for those who use your services.

It’s a two way street. Respect your users, clearly communicate your intentions and respond to feedback. These are actions that will help preserve your reputation.

How can you keep users in the loop and avoid wide spread criticism?

Where did 2012 go?

Time sure flies when you’re preoccupied online. The remaining days of 2012 are a great time to revisit online reputation management basics and give some serious thought to how you want to brand yourself vs. where your Web presence currently stands. It’s time to take your digital pulse.

Professionals want to be taken seriously in print, in person and on the Web. At a minimum, to be perceived as a professional, you must behave in a professional way, be mindful of how you identify or define yourself online and you must be in control of your emotions while working. Anything less will work against your online reputation.  Choosing your words with care and being careful about how you weigh in on sensitive issues is essential too. You might intend on offering solutions or positive insights to an online discussion and end up fighting back digital backlash.

As you prepare for 2013, here are a few things you can do to put a big beautiful bow on your reputation next year and in the future.

1. Email Signature: Set up or refresh your email signature. Add website, social media links, logo or link to a marketing campaign, e-book or new blog post.
2. Mobile Email Signature: Set up or refresh your email signature on your smartphone. Add a links to your website & social media connections.
3. Get a professional email address. The free email services offered by Gmail, Outlook/Hotmail/Live, and Yahoo won’t help you distinguish yourself as a professional. Buying your own web address (domain name) will help you establish yourself as a professional. First, secure your web address, then create a professional email address then continue building your personal brand.
4. Add a new voice mail message: A new, upbeat voice mail message could encourage more people to want to work with you or get to know you better in 2013. Keep your message brief and add your website & other contact information.
5. Tweak your social media profiles: Polish or update your profiles.
6. Create a website or start a blog: Feature your professional expertise and share your insight as you promote your own web address.
7. Business cards: Keep some paper business cards on hand. Some people prefer them.
8. Rename or name your Wi-Fi Network: Allow your secured Wi-Fi network to reflect your brand in your home office, at your headquarters and other places of work (mobile Wi-Fi). This way, anyone who is searching for a Wi-Fi network in your area will see your marketing message or web site address proudly displayed where a general Wi-Fi name normal would show up.
9. Mobile Phone On hold Music: Most mobile carriers offer some way to change your default ringtone that people hear when they call you. Make the song that greets them you sound professional. Holiday, seasonal and motivational music songs are a nice touch.
10. Make an in-kind Donation: Donate your expertise to a school, nonprofit, aspiring entrepreneur for free on a short-term or long-term basis.
11. Adopt a school or class: Supply them with supplies for a special event or throughout the year.

Remember, everything said or done online is an extension of who you are offline and vice versa, so it is best if you behave in a professional, caring way so no matter where you happen to be, especially during holidays, you are seen as a well-rounded, emotionally intelligent sharp professional.

How else can you prep your reputation for the New Year ahead?

Google Maps for iOS  was released yesterday to the delight of many iPhone owners.

All around the Web, iPhone owners rejoiced, even raved about the new and improved Google Maps built by Google specifically for iOS. Mobile Apps make life easier when designed with the end user in mind and when tested and released with care.

Google announced that Google Maps App was refreshed and back in the App Store and ready to be downloaded. Google Maps App description boasted Google Maps users will “get comprehensive, accurate and easy-to-use maps with built-in Google local search, voice guided turn-by-turn navigation, public transit directions, Street View and more. Use Google Maps to discover great places to eat, drink, shop and play, with ratings and reviews from people you trust”. Just what the smartphone doctor ordered.

The new Google Map App while optimized for iPhone 5, is compatible with: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, 3^rd & 4^th generation of iPod touch. By all accounts the new Google Maps App has delivered on their promise and delivered some extra joy with the voice guided turn-by-turn navigation feature, once found solely on Android smartphones.

Excitement aside, the toasty reception of Google Maps App by droves of iOS fans amplifies the terrible thirst created by Apple’s Map launch failure. Apple’s Tim Cook apologized and took away some of the sting from outraged iPhone 5 owners. Yet, many argue that the Apple Maps launch misstep also took away some of the luster of the Apple brand and left a mark on Apple’s reputation.

Some doubt whether or not the refreshed Google Maps will erase bad iOS memories but you can bet the experience will serve as a reminder for Apple leadership who will most likely weigh the pros and cons of ending business relationships in a heightened digital world before  a comparable or more advanced solution to fill the void is ready. No brand wants to bear the brunt of a sea of outraged smartphone owners venting their frustrations online.

PR can’t spin this real-time digital discontent. 

They say an apple a day keeps the Dr. away. Most of us agree that it is a good idea to create a habit of consuming things that nourish the body. As far as Apple the company goes, they should continue to deliver only their absolute best to the hungry digital professionals who have come to adore the Apple brand. To do otherwise out of haste, or launch date pressure will harm the Apple brand in the long-run.

The lessons below are relevant for those entrepreneurial spirits out there – those who aim to bring new solutions to market that make being a mobile professional easier.

1. Ban EGO from the brainstorm and execution room. Welcome feedback. Be open to ideas & respect ideals.
2. Find a way to coexist in every market. Competition doesn’t have to be contentious.
3. Differentiate your products or solutions in a way that only you can. Then stand on and by what you’ve built.
4. Understand your core competencies. Make sure that others within your organization understand and work with these core competencies in mind.
5. Before you severe any business relationship be certain the void left can be filled with a comparable or more advanced solution.
6. Don’t underestimate competition. Know what they do well.
7. Make sure new solutions are tested and ready for the primetime demands.
8. Monitor what is said about your brand and your organizational leaders. Listen in and remain aware of how sentiment is shifting.
9. Vetted strategic partnerships are good for the brands involved.
10. If you are not ready for launch, or relaunch…postpone it.

What are your thoughts?

Bringing two or more brands together, under one umbrella, for a mutual purpose, requires each brand has a healthy respect for each other’s reputation.

Co-branding is a strategic partnership between professionals (personal brand) or organizations (products, services or programs) that recognize the value of leveraging each other’s reputation to amplify awareness about a product, service, event or cause. Co-branding provides opportunities to speak to audiences in new ways and connect to new audiences using relevant, share-worthy information that creates positive impressions about the brands involved.

When it comes to co-branding, or cross platform marketing, participating brands must extend their core competencies to their strategic partnership, otherwise valuable resources are wasted, brand loyalty is jeopardized, and the collaboration is doomed from the start. Collaborating with strategic partners is an excellent way for professionals and organizations to gain more share of mind, which under the right circumstances, leads to more growth opportunities and heightened brand awareness. Co-branding is also a prudent way to survive dips in consumer confidence, declines in consumer spending and budgetary restrictions.

Many co-branding campaigns involve some mixture of billboards, product packaging, celebrity endorsements, mobile marketing, conferences, events, social media, and other forms of advertising (print & digital). There are examples of co-branding campaigns all around you and co-branding partnerships can be as broad or narrow as you like. Co-branding is an opportunity for you to present your personal or organizational brand in new ways.

Here are a few co-branding examples that caught my eye:

• The First White House Twitter Town Hall
• Starbucks offers co-branded cards
• The United States Postal Service co-branded boxes and envelopes

This holiday season you are likely to see even more seasonal examples of co-branding.

Be Wary

While the rewards of co-branding are many, the risks associated with co-branding gone wrong can harm a brand’s reputation in no time at all.  If an incident or scandal occurs that calls one brand’s integrity into question, guilt by association can become a reality that is hard to shake.  Successful co-branding occurs when all brands bring value to the collaboration and the risks and rewards of co-branding are not ignored.

Nurturing your reputation is essential for all brands, from emerging brands to long established brands. Building brand awareness and a respectable reputation takes time but well executed co-branding campaigns can speed up this process. No professional or organizational brand should enter into a co-branding partnership without thoroughly researching the brand(s) under consideration for the strategic partnership.

Always remember, there’s no magic reputation wand you can wave to “POOF”, make every brand misstep or reputation woe go away. Take great care of your reputation and seriously research any brand before you agree to any co-branding campaigns. As long as you remain mindful of these real concerns, leveraging the power of co-branding should give your reputation a noticeable boost.

Are you comfortable with co-branding?

There are moments when organizational challenges take a back seat and heart to heart conversations take the lead.

Moments when the business of business is put on hold to appreciate all the hard work and accomplishments made over a certain period of time. Moments when something happens to confirm your work and diligence are deeply appreciated. I’m talking meaningful connections – the type that run far deeper and last much longer than a paycheck high.

Contrary to time management myths, there is enough time for business leaders to get to know workers within their organization whose actions keep their organization performing smoothly & efficiently. In business, leaders set and change the tone in the workplace as they see fit – this also means every decision made has the power to reveal character and alter reputation. Aware or not, a leaders’ leadership style affects the way leaders are perceived. The old saying, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” is a must in our always on, data drenched world where the most unintentional “dis” can lead to employee morale problems or a public relations scandal, complete with clicks, and viral bits.

Within every organization workers need to sense they are valued. As workers move through their day, they should know they mean more to the leaders they work with than the profits and lifestyles they make possible. The key to organizational development rest in how leaders treat their workers – the ability to actively listen to the concerns and ideas of their workers.

There are endless ways for leaders to show how much workers are appreciated inside and outside of the organization. Show workers some love this holiday season and watch your attention and appreciation spill over into better relationships and improved individual and organizational performance.

Delight Your Employees

Do something unexpected for your workers. It could be as simple as:

• Holding employee appreciation events (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly).
• Giving out organizational schwag like branded T-shirts, tote or bags with a statement linked to your mission
• Shortening a work day
• Hosting a festive holiday party
• Praising those who volunteer in local communities, those who exude your organizational ethos.

It’s your call but chose creative ways to communicate to your workers how much you appreciate their work and their commitment to your organization. Good tidings and your reputation go hand in hand. This holiday season show your love to those who represent your organization while they are at work and on their own time.

How do you plan on showing your workers some love this holiday season?

Holidays come and holidays go, but those precious memories created during this time of year as a result of acts of kindness rarely fade away.

Meaningful connections made during the holidays can live well past Christmas and New Year’s, if you manage to remain untouched by controversy. On the other hand, if you present yourself to the world in a crude way or if you act Grinch or Scrooge like during this holiday season, you should expect negative chatter will follow and put a mighty drain on your online reputation.

Since Tis the season to be jolly, move through this holiday season bearing kindness and spreading goodness whenever you can. Those who you help or impress along the way will have nothing but good things to say about you online and offline. Think of it this way, just as milk does the body good, giving does the reputation good.

Giving should come from the heart and shouldn’t be some shallow attempt to appear like you care, when you don’t.  Think about how you feel when someone gives you something unexpected or how you feel when someone helps you in your time of need. Now take that feeling and multiply it by 100 and you have a sense of how spreading your goodness around this holiday season can help others and amplify your reputation. When you are considerate and empathetic during the holidays, the organization or professional involved receives an unexpected gift in the form of a reputation uptick, a welcomed side effects of giving.

Giving is very good for the community and good for your reputation. Organizations and professionals who give with no strings attached create an environment where their generous gifts reflect favorably on their reputation. Their good acts precede them and their reputation benefits from all the good work they’ve done. And for those that have been pummeled by controversy or scandal, giving can create a new lease on life. Giving can slowly melt away harmful sentiment allowing the remaining wounds left over after a reputation crisis to heal.

Giving, over time and without pretense, does wonders for a reputation. 

Holiday Awareness

Giving during holidays can be tricky and filled with digital mine fields for professionals or organizations who mix giving with overindulgence. When holiday cheer includes things which alter your state of mind, e.g., beverages, unfortunate and unimaginable things happen. If you’re not careful, holidays can do irreparable damage to your reputation and it can happen so fast your head will be spinning from how powerful and disturbing the act of clicking send can be.

Like oil and water, reputation and intoxicants don’t mix.

If this is sounds like you, or someone you care about, shy away from doing anything in the public eye that might turn your holiday celebrations into a game of reputation Russian roulette.

For many people, the holiday season is a special time of the year when everything that happens seems to be amplified, whether good or bad. Aim to amplify the good and watch your reputation blossom.

How does giving fit into your professional life?