Maintaining Reputation Opens All Doors

To most people public relations means constantly keeping in contact with the media, pushing your product, promoting your image etc etc. And when I say “most people” I was in this category a week ago until Matt Gobush shed light on what he does as a Corporate Communications Manager for ExxonMobil. He explained to our class their approach to communications and their targeted audience and goal, which is mainly policy makers and focusing on public advocacy. His main goal as a communicator is to increase the company’s reputation and maintain a favorable general impression.

As he was explaining this, I finally realized that PR and communications isn’t just about writing press releases or constantly reaching out to the media. The goal of any communications practitioner is building and maintaining a positive reputation. At the end of the day reputation is the one thing that can make or break a company. Reputation is everything.

I found it extremely interesting that he builds ExonnMobil’s reputation in a round a bout way. They don’t pinpoint the general public and spend money on advertisements, showing their CSR or their quality of business. They focus on maintaining good government relations and positive advocacy campaigns. This has offered an entirely new scope of communications to me. I always wanted to somehow tie in my communications skills and work with government relations; I just didn’t know that was possible under the public relations umbrella. This new perspective has showed me that communications is a field where anything is possible.

I know most of my blogs have been about “the journey” and “the uncertainty” of my future. But, now I realize that communications is a field where you can use all of the tools in your toolbox and apply them to any professional field. The determining factor of success in communications is the ability to maintain and build a positive reputation. And if you can master that you can use that skill anywhere you go.