We don’t need jumbotrons, kiss cams, or Gwyneth Paltrow to remind us that reputation management and stakeholder trust are not optional line items. They are essential, ongoing, foundational brand activities. Just like paying your life insurance premiums, reputation work needs to be “always on”, quietly building goodwill you can draw on when the road gets bumpy. As with insurance, you hope you never need it, but you’re glad you have it when you do.
This isn’t about Hail Mary optics, gimmicks, or tricks (though these can be useful in gaining viral attention for a minute). It’s about integrity and leadership. Actions speak louder than slogans, and no PR magic can cover for a company that hasn’t done the work.
In agriculture, where I’ve spent a good part of my career, trust isn’t a quarterly KPI, it’s earned over seasons, and in the best cases, generations. One brand I worked with understood this instinctively. When a product didn’t perform as expected, they didn’t hide or spin. They called every customer and distributor to make good and explain how they planned to be better. And then they made the product better. That’s reputation management: transparency, accountability, humility, and follow through.
I once worked as crisis advisor to a CEO who was leading an organization through a full-blown Level 5 maelstrom, with the national TV news knocking on the door and parked outside the headquarters. Faced with stakeholder and board turmoil and a potential loss of public confidence, he didn’t flinch. I was greatly relieved when he pledged: We will do whatever it takes to make this right. I own this. No window dressing. Real change. And then he backed that promise with resources and concrete actions, looked in the TV cameras and answered every question, unwavering in his message. The willingness of the brand leader (or public face) to take thoughtful advice and then step into the fray is always the difference maker.
Contrast that with the current headlines: Airlines and household name companies tangled in public disputes with their workforces who are seeking something better. Robotic corporate statements won’t fix what’s broken, either with employees or the customers they serve. Real leadership starts with showing some vulnerability, not ratcheting up the rhetoric. We can’t do what we do without the dedication of our people. We’re going to invest in them and in our shared future, because that’s how we will become the best. If and when negotiations break down, don’t get into a pissing match. Reaffirm that “we continue to work at this because nothing is more important than our people and the customers we serve. We will find a way.”
Reputation isn’t built in press releases or ‘Happy Earth Day’ social posts. It’s built in boardrooms, break rooms, employee training and support, and out in the fields. It’s how you show up when no one’s watching, and especially when everyone is.
When the storm hits, you’ll be glad you didn’t let the life insurance lapse.
