Reputation management key to brand’s success, says Bala Muhammad
A Public Relations (PR) expert and lecturer at the Bayero University Kano (BUK’s) Faculty of Communication, Mall. Bala Muhammad, has tasked PR professionals in the country on good image management and corporate reputation building.
He explained that proper reputation building by commercial firms and organisations, serves as veritable tool of image branding and robust marketing.
Bala, a columnist with DailyTrust newspaper, made this known during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) lecture series organized by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
The event took place at the Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture in Abuja.
The lecture titled: “Reputational Risk Management Strategy,” was aimed at sensitizing PR experts on the importance and benefits of quality image-building and maintenance in creating good reputation for organizations.
“If reputation-building is good for an individual, it is as well essential for an organization’s image. Reputation should be treated as an asset which should be planned, developed, analysed and managed alongside other valuable assets,” he said.
The BUK lecturer, added that positive reputation greatly enhances an organisation’s sphere of influence.
He pointed out that intangible assets like reputation provides any company with a more enduring source of competitive advantage, than millions of investments and technology.
Harping on the benefits of positive corporate reputation, Mall. Bala, advised NIPR to adopt other advanced countries’ tradition of ranking organizations that have earned and maintained positive reputations built upon competent values and core principles.
“I will like this Institute to call to order PR officers that are engaged in propaganda. It will help to protect the image of the Institute, and that of the country at large,” he noted.
On his part, President of NIPR, Mall. Muktar Sirajo, emphasized the need to ‘beautifully’ remodel the smeared reputation and awful image of the country.
“The Institute will soon organize a general stakeholders’ summit on ‘National Reputation Building,’ with the sole aim of rebranding the battered image of this great country,” he said.
By PRNigeria
