Your organization’s most valuable asset is its reputation. Respect keeps the revenue flowing into your organization, but when corporate reputation is damaged, it puts your business at risk and can quickly cost your company millions of dollars in lost revenue. Chief Executives influence reputations every time they open their mouths, yet even store-level employees can instantly destroy a company’s good name. Consider the widely circulated example of a Starbucks sales clerk’s decision in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, disaster to charge rescue workers at the New York City ground zero site for badly needed bottled water. Complaints were picked up in chat rooms and the mainstream media within hours and Starbucks’ carefully polished reputation was in danger of being tarnished.

Reputation is a critical component of company success and shareholder value, yet the ability to measure reputation and manage outcomes is extremely elusive. The factors that influence reputation are found everywhere—in the mainstream media, on Web sites and, increasingly, in blogs. Many companies now have independent voices tracking their every move and reporting it to the world via their blogs. Starbucks, for example, has several independent blogs devoted to dirt and tidbits about the company, such as Starbucks Gossip at http://starbucksgossip.typepad.com/. Perhaps your organization has bloggers writing about your products, influencing your customers and the mainstream press too. Understanding the impact of new and traditional media on corporate reputation is a growing challenge and an important component of gaining reputation intelligence.