A chief reputation officer (CRO) is an executive-level position at a
corporation
A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...
,
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
,
organization
An organization or organisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences) is an legal entity, entity—such as ...
, or
institution
An institution is a humanly devised structure of rules and norms that shape and constrain social behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions and ...
, typically reporting directly to the
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...
or
board of directors
A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency.
The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...
and belonging to the executive board of directors.
The chief reputation officer is responsible for reputation, brand,
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
/public affairs, and the integrated management and effective and efficient coherence and consistency of all internal and external
communications
Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...
, throughout all physical and virtual touch-points, in order to create a favorable base for strong and lasting relationships with the
stakeholders on which the organization depends.
The CRO is the corporate officer primarily responsible for:
# Developing and implementing an integrated communication policy actively embedded in the organization’s global
business strategy
In the field of management, strategic management involves the formulation and implementation of the major goals and initiatives taken by an organization's managers on behalf of stakeholders, based on consideration of resources and an assessment of ...
.
# Helping the organization in deeply understanding its market, and stakeholders and providing knowledge and management tools on how to translate this understanding into differentiating, attractive perceptions and supportive behaviors.
# Assisting the organization in building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders among all strata of society.
# Supporting the organization in creating global strategic alignment through company’s vision, mission, brand values and positioning, as the starting points for internal and external alignment with de organization.
# Helping the organization in creating a strong
corporate brand.
# Assessing the organization in creating and enhancing a sustainable reputation
# Supporting the organization in the identification and mitigation of reputational risks and to advise and participate in decisions that may impact its
# Preparing top executives and management throughout the business for intense persuasive communication with relevant
# Advising and supporting the top executive / CEO in building and maintaining his/her personal
# Developing an integrated management dashboard to measure the corporate communications, brand, reputation and intangibles performance and to reveal
accountability
In ethics and governance, accountability is equated with answerability, culpability, liability, and the expectation of account-giving.
As in an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in the public secto ...
and value creation towards business and financial return.
# Fostering the organization in its permanent transformation using
reputation management
Reputation management, refers to the Social influence, influencing, controlling, enhancing, or concealing of an individual's or group's reputation. It is a marketing technique used to modify a person's or a company's reputation in a positive way. ...
to achieve corporate excellence.
References
{{Reflist
* Fombrun, Ch., Van Riel, C. (2004) “Fame and Fortune: How Successful Companies Build Winning Reputations” Financial Times Prentice Hall
* Riel, Cees van, Fombrun, Charles, (2007), Essentials of Corporate Communication, Routledge, 2007
Further reading
* Aaker, D. (2008) Spanning Silos: The New CMO Imperative, Harvard Business Press.
* Bronn, P. 2002, Corporate Communication – A Strategic Approach to Building Reputation, Gyldendal
* Grunig, J. E. 1991, Excellence in Public Relations, Lawrence Erlbaum Ass.
* Hatch, M. J. & Shultz M. (2008), Taking Brand Initiative. How companies can align strategy, culture and identity through corporate branding, Jossey Bass.
* Kotler (2010), Marketing 3.0 JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC
* Van der Jagt (2005), Senior Business Executives see Communication and Reputation as a crucial part of their leadership role, Corporate Reputation Review.
External links
Brand protection – Time to welcome your chief reputation officerGuardian of Reputation: Unraveling the Role of the CRO
Management occupations