I found this interesting example of how reputation can be managed simply by building a strong and prideful culture for employees. It is a lesson to us all. The article was written by the editor of American Banker and reveals her interesting perspective:
“In terms of how employee experience influences media coverage, I offer the example of two prominent retail brands that I used to cover for a major metro newspaper. One had a disgruntled employee base that was great for leaks that led to juicy stories. From the other, I never got anything aside from the official company line. Even when the second company hit a rough patch, no one called the local paper to complain. Here, a healthy culture offset the impact of an unhealthy stock price: these employees were rallying around their CEO. They cared about their brand and were motivated to contribute to its revival.”
Employees in the second company rallied behind the company and kept its reputational equity stable. They were not roaming the Internet spreading discontent and doubt and catching the eye of some journalist covering the beat. This is how it should work.