Seeking the People’s Favor

 At first sight it is a little shocking to realize how all the powerful and great enterprises of any city are bent upon courting public favor.  Every community of any size in the country has a business section in the paper.  And for local news subscribers, their ability to stay in touch with what the strongest and up and coming firms in town are doing is a crucial aspect of their company awareness.

Sometimes it is beneficial to read the business news in your local paper both for knowledge and looking for the answer to the question – “Did the business that is the subject of the article work to get this article printed about them in the paper?”  Sometimes they go out of their way to make it painfully obvious that they want to be recognized.  Many firms use public relations and advertising professionals to help shape the way they are regarded in the press and to win public favor by wooing the correct kind of press coverage for the business.

There are some genuine commercial reasons for the business community to work so hard to get favorable press coverage.  On the surface, it would seem that the purpose of controlling public acceptance for a corporation is just a desire to be a good citizen and so that public opinion is positive and everybody thinks of that business as a bunch of “good guys”.  But the reasons for trying to win the public’s favor for a corporation are much more nuanced and entrepreneurial than that.  

* Good reputation means better sales.  Public opinion is a strange thing.  Having a terrible reputation in a neighborhood will have a big influence on a retail company’s bottom line.  But a well-regarded firm at the neighborhood level will be one that has significant client loyalty.

* Improved business relations due to a good reputation.  Running a business is about establishing deals and writing contracts with other firms in town.  A good reputation in the public eye will stand you in good stead when you need a transaction to go your way at the negotiation table.

* Investors desire to see a positive picture of the company in the public.  Investors like to know that the business they are looking to partner with will be able to achieve its business goals and survive year in and year out.  And part of that stability is that the business can deliver on its mission statement and statement of values.  When the business the investor is looking at has a solid public image, that is a sign that this is a business that acts with integrity, is concerned with the public good as well as private profit, and is searching for the long term gain as well as the short term profitability.  In an investor setting their values convert directly into dollars.

A good relationship with city and state government is key to long-term corporate health.  Businesses will often seek a relationship or concession with local government so there is a clear path to secure building permits or do other business that impacts the public good.  A municipal or state government can be a business’ best friend or halt your efforts cold and keep them stopped.  But what is pleasing to the political sphere is the opinion of the public and public good.  So if your firm has a high public reputation, it translates into votes for the politically-minded officials at city hall.  And that means influence that can help a corporation go a long way toward realizing its long-range plans.

* Recruitment is helped by a solid public image.  If you place an advertisement in the local paper to recruit talent, how you are perceived by folks looking for jobs will have a direct impact on whether they will respond to your recruitment efforts.  Many a business earned a terrible reputation locally and experienced dismal results to recruitment efforts which might signify a less competent personnel and poor performance of the business in general .

Here are good reasons for a business to invest some energy and capital in establishing a good reputation in town.  Whether that means a strong representation on United Way weekend, or organizing blood drives once a month, the business that has a reputation for giving out to the community will be a business that thrives.

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