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Rethinking Reputation: How PR Trumps Marketing and Advertising in the New Media World Paperback – September 17, 2013

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 39 ratings

Once just the icing on a good campaign, PR is now the lynchpin of any reputation management strategy. Little wonder, in a time when even minor gaffes can ruin the careers of politicians, celebrities, athletes and high-flying CEOs - and a single well-placed endorsement can launch an unknown startup into the stratosphere. In Rethinking Reputation, public relations gurus Fraser Seitel and John Doorley examine the pivotal PR moments of recent years - including the BP oil spill and the 2012 Republican primaries - to glean the dos and don'ts for the new media world. They show everyone from mom-and-pop shops to Fortune 500 companies how to wield the power of word-of-mouth, relationships, and publicity to maximize coverage and minimize harm. In between, they illustrate the character-based communication strategies that have bulletproofed countless businesses - and how you can use them too.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A useful resource for…PR, mass communications, and related fields…Recommended.” ―Choice

“I would give it an 'A.' It should be required reading for every communications student and their instructors, and for every person involved in a business that may some day have a PR problem or use a PR firm. Put it on your must-read list.” ―O'Dwyer's

“A fun and educational discussion of building and protecting a reputation by two leaders in the field of public relations… Lots of practical information for both building a business and living a life.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“By now you know we're in the middle of a communications revolution with an explosion of new media channels to reach your audience directly and then have your ideas shared in social networks. But most organizations act as if we're still in the mainstream media era of big expensive campaigns. Rethinking Reputation shows you how to reset your concept of reputation and to navigate this new media world. Beautifully written with compelling real-word examples from companies large and small, Seitel and Doorley show you how to succeed.” ―David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR, now in over 25 languages from Bulgarian to Vietnamese

“In an age of public conversations, reputation maintenance is a daily practice, and your crisis management skills may be needed at any moment. Fraser Seitel and John Doorley's book Rethinking Reputation doesn't just shed light on PR best practices; it's a wake-up call and a must-read for all communications professionals today.” ―Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO Pure Performance Communications and author of Social Media and Public Relations

Rethinking Reputation reminds us all of the importance of PR in the most ad-cluttered world we've ever lived in. I highly recommend it to business professionals everywhere. Two big likeable thumbs up!” ―Dave Kerpen, New York Times bestselling author, Likeable Social Media and Likeable Business

“Personal reputations seem in tatters everywhere you look today. This entertaining guide to public relations shows how the world's 'second oldest profession" is the basis of our individual reputations and relationships.” ―Helen Ostrowski, retired chairman and CEO, Porter Novelli

“If your Master of the Universe reputation is under threat, you must immediately read this essential guide to master any crisis--or better yet hire the wise gurus of reputation, Fraser Seitel and John Doorley. Crammed full of wisdom from other Masters' fall from grace.” ―Robert Lenzner, Contributing Editor and Columnist, Forbes Media and bestselling author of The Great Getty

“Everyone knows that reputation is a bridge--and an illusion. Rethinking Reputation is a hands-on training book that drives away theoretic cobwebs and teaches you how to use modern PR to a variety of ends. You can give this book to your bosses, boards or other constituents to get buy-in for newthink, no-BS strategies---while saving you from pulling out your hair!” ―Richard Laermer, CEO RLMpr and author of Full Frontal PR

“Whether in business or politics, one's reputation is the critical foundation on which success is built. Seitel and Doorley have put forward a thought-provoking blueprint on how to both build and maintain this valuable asset.” ―Ed Ingle, Managing Director of Government Affairs, Microsoft Corporation, and former senior White House aide

“The authors are good storytellers, with tales of the famous and the obscure. They are especially good at conveying the power of character-based communication.” ―Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City

About the Author

Fraser P. Seitel is a public relations consultant, author, lecturer, columnist, and media commentator, appearing frequently on the Fox News Network and other outlets. He is the author of The Practice of Public Relations, which is used in universities worldwide and has sold over a million copies in 11 editions. John Doorley is the founding academic director of the Master of Science in Public Relations degree program at New York University. He also founded and directs the Academy for Communication Excellence and Leadership at Johnson & Johnson, with multiple course offerings in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (September 17, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1137278706
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1137278708
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.59 x 0.7 x 9.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 39 ratings

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4 out of 5 stars
39 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and useful for communication professionals. They appreciate the practical advice and examples about public relations management. The stories and insights provide an excellent overview of the situation.

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7 customers mention "Readability"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book useful and entertaining for communication professionals. They say it's a must-read for anyone in marketing or public relations. The advice is relevant and to the point, providing cogent reminders of why taking the high road is important. Readers also mention that the book is interesting and thought-provoking.

"...Really good to understand and use appropriately." Read more

"...With all this variety, the book is a fast and entertaining read that in a way reflects the way we experience news of the world today -- news,..." Read more

"Rethinking Reputation makes an ideal book for any student of communications...." Read more

"Rethinking Reputation was an enjoyable read and took only about half a day to complete. Storytelling is certainly the strength of this book...." Read more

6 customers mention "Advice"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the advice and examples in the book. They find the advice relevant and helpful, with examples of how to manage and mismanage public relations. The unique PR ideas are also appreciated. Overall, readers find the advice insightful and thought-provoking.

"...of incredible stories and examples of how to manage, and mismanage public relations. All of the advice is relevant and to the point...." Read more

"...Also in Chapter 2 you learn how unique PR ideas can do much more to draw excitement to your business or idea...." Read more

"...a handful of examples to draw the reader in and make a few practical points about public relations...." Read more

"What a great find! Helpful, insightful, and captivating, a must read for anyone in marketing or public relations. You won't be disappointed!" Read more

3 customers mention "Storytelling"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book full of stories and examples that provide an excellent overview of the situation. They find it helpful, insightful, and a must-read for anyone in the field.

"This books is full of incredible stories and examples of how to manage, and mismanage public relations...." Read more

"...studies with first-hand commentary give the reader an excellent overview of the situation and the summary points at the end of each case provide a..." Read more

"What a great find! Helpful, insightful, and captivating, a must read for anyone in marketing or public relations. You won't be disappointed!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2019
    This books is full of incredible stories and examples of how to manage, and mismanage public relations. All of the advice is relevant and to the point. Public relations is the most effective strategy for managing a message, building a profile, and spreading the word about a cause or business, and it is increasingly becoming more so. Really good to understand and use appropriately.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2012
    "Rethinking Reputation" is pretty much as it is described in the Book Description and Editorial Reviews of its Amazon page. The problem is I'm not sure if I liked it or not--based on what I was expecting when I bought it today on its publication date.

    My expectation was that it would show how social media and the new world order of the internet has changed everything, and that public relations has had to adapt to keep up with those changes. There are definitely case studies and places in the book where that cause-and-effect relationship is covered explicitly. What I'm not so sure of is the way the book eclectically mixes together PR success stories and business case studies in Part I (How to Build Reputation) with a mixture of political, sports and disaster scenarios 'ripped from the headlines' in Part II (How to Protect Reputation). It's almost like PR 101 meets TMZ ... traditional media meets cable media ... with the authors then weighing in on who did good PR and who didn't -- even as many of these stories evolved over a period where PR was adjusting to the new realities of our internet- and social media-enabled world.

    Something that's always been intriguing to me about two-author books is trying to analyze who wrote what so their writing styles and input blend together to appear as one. In this case I think the division of chapters between the authors contributes to the sometimes jarring transitions in the story-telling. Strictly from reading the authors' bios, it struck me that Fraser Seitel probably took the first shot at Chapters 1, 2 and most of Part II, while John Doorley wrote Chapters 3-5. Both authors were probably responsible for then editing the other's first-drafts and together summarizing the top 10 Lessons at the end of each chapter.

    I was disappointed by the exclusive use of Democrats to demonstrate how politicians screw up when (probably) Seitel tells in detail how Charlie Rangle, John Edwards and Anthony Weiner tried to dig their way out of their PR problems and later how Bill Clinton became the ultimate political spin-meister. Just the use of one of many Republicans (think John Ensign, Mark Sanford, or David Vitter) might have provided a balanced view and not reminded me that Seitel appears a lot on Fox News. This was an unnecessary distraction away from the sincerity of the topic.

    In general though, "Rethinking Reputation" does a nice job of showing how public relations can accomplish so much more when we are inundated by ads. The first chapter stars two young NYU graduates who use PR almost exclusively to blow up their shoe business. It was awesome looking at some of their YouTube videos to see how they were building personal relationships. Also in Chapter 2 you learn how unique PR ideas can do much more to draw excitement to your business or idea. If the book had continued down this path, it could have gotten more into the use of PR in a new media world.

    Instead it shifts over to more of a Harvard case study approach in seeing how Roy Vagelos at Merck, T. Boone Pickens and Johnson & Johnson used/are using PR in their respective ways. And then in Part II the big shift occurs that intertwines a number of smaller, "pop culture" cases to illustrate how to protect your reputation when confronted by catastrophic issues. With all this variety, the book is a fast and entertaining read that in a way reflects the way we experience news of the world today -- news, politics, business, sports and entertainment -- all rolled together in our newspapers and websites.

    I was hoping for a final chapter where they brought all of these perspectives together a little beyond the Lessons provided after each chapter. Instead they showed how it was possible for a company (Exxon) known primarily for a disaster (Exxon Valdez) to come full-circle to become one of the most PR-savvy companies in the world (ExxonMobil). The point being that if you understand how the world is changing it's possible for huge organizations and individuals to adapt.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2013
    Rethinking Reputation makes an ideal book for any student of communications. The clearly written case studies with first-hand commentary give the reader an excellent overview of the situation and the summary points at the end of each case provide a helpful wrap up. Communications is an experiential business, and short of actually living through each of these experiences the next best thing is to examine them critically and think through how one would manage in each instance. This book does a service by providing the cases and giving the reader an opportunity to think critically about how they would have handled a given situation while seeing how it was handled from the inside.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2012
    Rethinking Reputation was an enjoyable read and took only about half a day to complete. Storytelling is certainly the strength of this book. Each chapter focuses on a handful of examples to draw the reader in and make a few practical points about public relations. The book is written in simple, plain English that anyone can understand. If you are a student of PR, you will likely find this an useful read. If you are a practitioner, then there are some good general reminders to be found as well.

    As purely a matter of personal preference, there were a few things that disappointed me. Foremost, the book gave very little time to the topic of reputation. Honestly, the thesis of this book is that PR is better than marketing and advertising. Second, I usually choose books with more substance or research behind them, and in this sense I found the book to be a quick and easy read. Finally, the book is overwhelmingly focused on North America at a time when the world's economic center can be found in the East. Now these are just my personal preferences, and may not be shared by other readers.

    The book is very well written, the authors clearly know their subject well, and Rethinking Reputation is fun to read. I might note this book as a good starting point for those who are new to PR and ideal for executives who want to quickly understand more about communications.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2020
    I struggled through 8 chapters skipping over at least half of 4 of them. nothing to see here...
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2013
    What a great find! Helpful, insightful, and captivating, a must read for anyone in marketing or public relations. You won't be disappointed!
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2013
    Doorley and Seitel have come up with my favorite definition of public relations: getting caught doing the right thing. Now that's one even my family can understand. "Rethinking Reputation" will be a valuable read for college students or career changers who are trying to decide between a profession in advertising or public relations. For older hands in the industry, the book provides cogent reminders of why "taking the high road" is always the right thing to do.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2013
    While I enjoyed reading this book, I felt there was too little solid information and far too many case studies. Examples are helpful and always appreciated but there needs to be more meat.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Heidi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really easy and fun to read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2014
    A lot of good cases that give you great inspiration to PR in the trenches.
    This book has lots of cases that show how PR can be used to grow a business.
    It's all about relatons :-)
  • enares
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2012
    This book is a PR practitioners dream providing, as it does, a clear rationale for shifting a greater share of marketing budgets towards PR activities. Easy read too.