What Is Corporate Online Reputation Management (ORM)?

Serving our local area of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada for many years in online marketing services including Online Reputation Management (ORM), we recently read online that local Italian restaurant, “East Side Mario’s closed it’s doors on June 16^th, 2015 after 10 years“ and controversy regarding former employees allegedly not receiving pay have started circulating around town.

[caption id="attachment_646" align="alignnone" width="338"] East Side Mario's Closed Saint John, NB, Canada[/caption]

While laying blame on the economy is one thing, unexpectedly locking out both employees and customers is simply tacky and gives a bad offline and online reputation.

This of course isn’t the first time a business in the local area has performed this distasteful act. You only need to look across from that location to see, Best Buy formerly Future Shop which let go of the majority of it’s former staff during the rebrand back in April.

Online reputation management affects businesses of all sizes from Mom N’ Pop Shops to large Corporations. Although our focus has been toward local small to medium sized businesses it often intrigues us how other Online Reputation Management Agencies and PR Teams handle the online reputation for some of the largest cooperate clients such as McDonalds, Wal-Mart, Rogers Communications, and many more!

An online hoax that falsely suggested McDonald’s discriminates against African-American customers was causing PR major headaches for the Golden Arches.

[caption id="attachment_645" align="alignnone" width="650"] McDonald Hoax[/caption]

A photograph circulated widely on the Internet over the course of a weekend. The image showed what looked like an official McDonald’s notice in the window of a restaurant, telling customers that African Descend would be charged $1.50 extra. “As an insurance measure due in part to a recent string of robberies.”

Although the controversy turned out to be a hoax, McDonald’s Public Relations team swiftly took to Twitter to squash the rumours.

[caption id="attachment_647" align="alignnone" width="532"] McDonalds Hoax PR Response[/caption]

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time McDonald’s corporate online reputation management has been put into question. Rumours have circulated in the past pertaining to various meats such as insect, horse, and even human being used instead of beef or chicken, mysterious “Pink slime”, and a teen girl abused by being strip-searched.



Then there is Rogers Communications, which has been accused of false advertising, and, “imma let you finish but Beyonce Wal-Mart had the worst online reputation management of all time!”

[caption id="attachment_648" align="alignnone" width="475"] Kanye West Meme[/caption]

Seriously though, Wal-Mart has been pledged by allegations of poor working conditions and wrongful termination for a while now yet somehow many local residents shop there everyday?

The Difference Between Corporate PR And Corporate Online Reputation Management

Although the two are similar and often used in conjunction, Public Relations is more forward facing and visible to members of the public. Online Reputation Management is sometimes considered “technical public relations.” tend to be quieter than traditional Public Relations. Instead of taking a reactive stance on reputation management, Corporate Online Reputation Management (ORM) uses a proactive approach by essentially building a protective wall of authority and positivity around your personal or corporate brand in order to defend it from negative feedback.

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[caption id="attachment_539" align="aligncenter" width="271"] Online Reputation Management[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_553" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Instant Download[/caption]

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Do you use Offline Reputation Management or Online Reputation Management (ORM) to help protect your corporate online reputation? Have you got any Online Reputation Management (ORM) tips and tricks to share with other business owners out there? If at any time you get stuck or need further assistance than feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.