Dubai: In the shifting landscape that is today's global public relations (PR) industry, empirical evidence counts as much as emotional factors in framing a campaign that works. But if Mark Benson had his way, it would be more of the former.
As chairman of Apco Insight, part of one of the leading global PR consultancies, Benson works with data gleaned from extensive field research — and subsequently compressed into definable numbers — to help businesses and government entities engage in "reputation management". And he believes its time has come in this part of the world.
"The traditional PR models for companies are changing to a more assertive reputation management model, where companies see there is an actual return," Benson said. "It's about understanding what the key expectations of audiences are for the best-in-class companies and then implement programmes in line with those expectations."
"Any business can have a name identity, that's easy to get — you just need to get the name on TV. A profile is more substantive and communicates a company's values to a key audience."
All of which does sound a tad difficult for the unengaged, but Benson — and Apco Insight — has worked out a proprietary model that actually allows clients to do all that.
"We are an opinion research organisation and provide strategic insights into any campaign that emerges," said Benson. "One of the things we do is reputation insight, [using] a proprietary research tool we created in collaboration with a number of methodologists in the US. It breaks down the reputation DNA of a company against their key audiences."
Profile
Prior to Apco's recent acquisition of Dubai-based Jiwin PR, the former did have reputation management campaigns going on for a couple of years in the region. Now with a broader platform being created through the acquisition, Benson believes the time is opportune to do more for clients here.
A start has been made with an international energy major with extensive operations in the region and also with Masdar, the Abu Dhabi headquartered alternate energy entity.
"Until now, most companies that have been here haven't perceived the need to engage in a public discussion about what they do," Benson added. "It's not that companies change or it's new to this market, the environment in the Gulf has. There's a new attitude towards reputation management."
But at what point should a client look to take what Apco Insight offers — to build a reputation or to build on one that already exists? "To do both, I would say," Benson said.
Even in the Americas and western Europe, reputation management is only now finding a foothold as an adjunct to traditional PR campaigns. Getting Middle East entities to start reading from the same page might take time, more so as they are yet to shake off a reluctance to spend following the extended downturn.
"I agree budgets are tight, it's a tough economy right now," Benson said. "Managements want to be shown there are actual returns if they carry on a reputation management programme. That's one of things we hope to do and that's to show our model's effective.
"The learning curve for decision-makers as they assess the value of an investment in reputation management is much shorter. You are seeing the explosive growth in social media and other modes compressing whole cycles for companies to ask these questions.
Trends
"We measure the extent to which these trends could impact their reputation. We make a strategic decision whether they have to mitigate this through their basic [existing] messaging posture or whether they need to have another conversation. Or in some cases not engage in one at all."
But the Apco chief is quick to point out these exercises are quite removed from what's done during crisis management situations a business may find itself in. "We need to come in early in the framing of a campaign and not when an issue crops up," Benson added.
"Reputation management is a longer play, it's a complex idea involving a lot of expectations. Crisis management situations are not necessarily about rebuilding reputation, it just corrects the record at best."
Research: Data collection
Reputation management programmes require the collection of extensive data to base the findings on. That means having sufficient legs out in the field to do the preliminary work.
Mark Benson of Apco Insight understands it could present a fair share of challenges in the local markets. "Good research particularly in this part of the world is labour intensive," he said. "The UAE is one of the markets to get data from. But we have a network of partners throughout the world with whom we work on data collection. It's the same here.
"But to get our broader message through, the Jiwin acquisition is so important. It will expand our footprint in the region with Dubai being very much a hub for our outreach activities with a number of companies."
