Why reputation management starts long before the press release

Reputation management is often misunderstood as something reactive. A crisis hits, a bad headline appears, and PR is wheeled in to “fix it”.

In reality, effective reputation management is far more holistic. While crisis management is a vital component, an organisation may simply want to maintain an already well-established reputation through effective, regular communications with stakeholders and customers. Or it may want to build credibility in a new location, sector or among a different audience.

At its core, PR’s role in reputation management is about understanding where a business really stands, deciding where it needs to go, and then thinking creatively and strategically about how to get there.

You can’t manage what you don’t understand

When considering a reputation management strategy, every organisation should start with a simple question: What do people actually think about our business right now?

That current reputation might be strong and stable, fragile and inconsistent, or virtually non-existent in certain areas. Some organisations need to protect what they already have. Others need to repair damage. Many need to develop credibility in new markets, sectors or conversations where they’re not yet known or trusted.

Until you understand that baseline, any PR activity is guesswork. This means listening and researching before speaking. Looking at media coverage, stakeholder perceptions, online discourse, competitor positioning, as well as the internal landscape of the business. It’s about identifying the gap between how a business sees itself and how it’s actually perceived.

Maintenance, improvement, or evolution?

Not every client needs to “improve” their reputation in the traditional sense. Sometimes the goal is consistency. Sometimes it’s protection. Sometimes it’s evolution.

A well-established business might want to maintain trust while navigating change, such as a new leadership team, a strategic pivot, or increased scrutiny. A growing company might need to move beyond being seen as a challenger and start being taken seriously as a leader. Others may want to be known for more than one thing, expanding their reputational footprint into new areas.

PR’s job is to recognise which of these applies, to develop a strategy that supports wider business goals, and then to deliver against it. Reputation management isn’t a one-size-fits-all service. Every organisation and business operates within its own context - as unique as the individuals who run it, work within it, and benefit from it.

Strategy first, tactics second

This is where critical thinking becomes the most valuable PR skill.

Press releases, commentary, thought leadership, case studies, awards, media relationships - these are all useful tools. But they’re only effective when they’re used in service of a clearly defined reputational goal.

Strong reputation-led PR is about asking questions such as:

• What does this business need to be trusted for?

• Who needs to trust this business (stakeholders, customers, etc)?

• What story (stories) can/should this business tell to support the long-term strategy?

Answering those questions requires a deep understanding of the business itself - its commercial objectives, its constraints, its culture, and its risk appetite. Only then does the how come into play: how those stories should be told, through which channels, and to which audiences.

Reputation management is not just about what you say

One of the most overlooked aspects of reputation management is knowing what not to say.

Sometimes the most valuable PR advice is to hold back, to delay an announcement, to quietly fix an issue before it becomes a story, to avoid jumping on a saturated trend. And in a crisis scenario, knowing what not to say can be the difference between containment and escalation.

This judgement doesn’t come from templates or tools - including AI. It comes from understanding how reputations are built over time, and how easily they can be damaged or destroyed.

Creativity with purpose

When it comes to delivery, creativity in reputation management isn’t about gimmicks or grand gestures. It’s about finding smart, credible ways to reinforce the right messages, in the right places, for the right reasons.

There are the cliched PR stunts - floating something down the Thames, buying an eye‑catching billboard, or staging an attention‑grabbing spectacle. Showy, yes. But long‑term reputational impact? Unlikely.

Delivering a consistent message through high-quality story telling over months and years is what will make the real difference. Like compounding returns in financial investing, regular and effective outreach will pay dividends for a business's reputation over the long run. That might mean reframing an existing narrative, elevating overlooked expertise, humanising a complex organisation, or building authority.

At Schofield Communications, we have worked with several clients for over a decade doing exactly that, managing, elevating and developing their reputations among their key target audiences. That is why, even after 10+ years, those clients continue to trust and work with us.

Reputation is a strategic asset

Ultimately, reputation isn’t a by-product of PR. It is one of a business’s most valuable assets, and it deserves the same level of strategic attention as finance, operations or growth. PR’s essential role is to protect, shape and strengthen that asset. And that starts with developing a deep understanding of a business, not necessarily a press release.

If your organisation is looking for reputation management support, get in touch for a free consultation to discuss where you are now and where you want to go next.