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Ms. Dochen

Social Media & PR

Hotel Public Relations: What to Do When Your Reputation is on the Line

By Dee Dee Dochen, Founder & Owner, DDD Marketing Communications

How being prepared can turn a potentially damaging situation into positive PR

Picture this: you are an established hotel owner, management company or general manager facing a threat to your business reputation that necessitates your putting everything aside. All that time and money you spent on establishing a justifiably terrific image...all the great goodwill and positivity you created...where did it go?

A reputation "hit" to an abundant image bucket stands the chance of puncturing a hole so gashing that you have no idea how you're going to keep all that positive reputation from draining completely away. Business could plunge. Your company's or your hotel's reputation could be dangerously on the line.

The cause of this reputation hit could result from a crisis, defined in the public relations world as "any decisive or critical moment, event or situation - such as death, fire or food-borne illness - that could damage a company's reputation and/or credibility."

Or, the reputation hit could arise from a more "subtle" situation that is as damaging to image and perception.

This category of crisis communications is referred to as "issues/reputation management." Do "traditional" crisis communications approaches apply? Absolutely, because both crises and reputation-damaging situations demand attention and action to ensure that companies can:

But what's slightly different between "real-time" crises and the kinds of situations I'm talking about is this: if the situation hasn't yet escalated into immediacy, if it has not yet "landed" on widely-known radar screens, it sure has the potential of getting there.

Examples of reputation-damaging situations:

If you ever find yourself facing an actual or brewing issue that has the potential of growing into a full-blown reputation-damaging situation:

Don't wait for a situation to put you in "deer-in-the-headlights" mode. Do the right thing: prepare, protect and be professional. Your proactive response could keep that reputation bucket full for a long, long time.

Dee Dee Dochen, Principal of DDD Marketing Communications since 1994, utilizes a mix of marketing communication strategies to help companies sell more, do more or communicate better. Working with hospitality since 1980, Ms. Dochen helps companies "manage their message" by working solely or with a network of affiliated professionals who share a commitment to excellence and enthusiasm for results. Ms. Dochen is an active community leader, involved with organizations that support the arts, children with special needs, human and civil rights, and education. Ms. Dochen can be contacted at 713-432-7575 or ddd@dddmc.com Extended Bio...

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