The Importance of Maintaining a Strong Company Reputation: Understanding Image, Identity, and Crisis Management
This article is a summary of the lecture material on IPC with the subject Introduction to Public Relations.
What comes to mind when you hear the name of your favorite brand or company? It could be a high-quality product, a catchy advertisement, or an impressive campaign. All of these are built on something essential—reputation. A company’s reputation is shaped by how well it maintains a positive relationship with the public, ensuring trust, stability, and long-term success. However, reputation doesn’t stand alone; it is built on two other key elements: image and identity. Together, these three components form the foundation of a well-known, successful brand.
One of the key factors that determine a company’s success is its reputation, which is built over time. From establishing its foundation to launching products and services, reputation plays a crucial role in attracting customers, investors, and public attention. It also enhances a company’s credibility and customer loyalty, making it stand out in a competitive market.
A great example is Wardah, a brand whose strong reputation has helped it gain consumer trust over competitors and made advertising new products more effective. Understanding the importance of reputation also highlights the risks of losing it. A damaged reputation can lead to two possible outcomes: either the company responds quickly through its PR team, managing the crisis and controlling media coverage, or it fails to recover, losing trust and credibility, which could ultimately lead to its downfall.
Understanding Image and Identity in Reputation
The other two key aspects of reputation are company image and company identity. Company image refers to how the public perceives a company based on what it presents to the world. This perception is influenced by factors such as media coverage, public relations efforts, and marketing strategies.
On the other hand, company identity is the foundation of a business—its core values, mission, and vision—which shape its decisions, branding, and long-term goals. The connection between these three elements is crucial: when a company’s image aligns with its identity, its reputation remains strong. Consistency across all three aspects ensures credibility and long-term success.
Rebuilding Reputation After a Crisis
The key step to saving a company from downfall is acknowledging mistakes and demonstrating a commitment to change. Reputation is built on trust and accountability, so taking responsibility and making the right improvements can help restore public confidence. If a company implements effective strategies and meaningful changes, rebuilding its reputation becomes easier. Additionally, engaging with customers and stakeholders is just as important as showing commitment.
A great example of this is Garuda Indonesia, the country’s national airline. After facing financial struggles and management scandals, the company focused on transparency, service improvements, and customer engagement to regain trust. By making significant operational changes and reinforcing its commitment to quality, Garuda Indonesia successfully improved its reputation over time.
A strong company reputation is essential for long-term success, as it builds trust, attracts customers, and ensures credibility in a competitive market. However, reputation is not built in isolation—it relies on the alignment of image and identity to create a consistent and reliable brand presence. When a crisis threatens a company’s reputation, a swift and transparent response can make the difference between recovery and failure. By acknowledging mistakes, implementing improvements, and staying true to their values, businesses can rebuild trust and even strengthen their reputation over time. Ultimately, maintaining a positive reputation requires continuous effort, ethical practices, and a commitment to delivering value to the public.
Written by: Thrya Abdulraheem Motea Al-aqab
Edited by: Meigitaria Sanita
