Jackie Chan is having a very bad day

Recently Jackie Chan has been trying to get away from his comedic roles and get into more serious edgy films. Perhaps that's why he decided to be controverisal last week when speaking at a the Boao Forum on Hainan Island:

"I don't know whether it is better to have freedom or to have no freedom. If you're too free, you're like the way Hong Kong is now... it can get very chaotic (and) could end up like in Taiwan.. We Chinese need to be controlled."

Not only did this comment offend the Taiwanese, he also offended the Chinese and the people of Hong Kong. And possibly ruined his career in this side of the world.

His reputation has taken a battering and the people and the media have been mauling him across Asia for the past week. And by looking at today's online stories, it looks like there is no sign of the negative publicity easing off.

In the past week the Hong Kong Apple Daily has called on him to apologise and the Hong Kong Tourism Board has been plagued with calls from the public asking him to step down as their ambassador. The People's Daily has criticised him and over 12,000 people on Facebook have joined a group to (jokingly) send Jackie Chan to North Korea. The story hit the New York Times on Thursday showing how quickly a local story can become global.

It will be interesting to see how he recovers from this amazing faux pas and how he will build up his reputation again.

Sorry isn't the hardest word

Elton John once sang "Sorry seems to be the hardest word". It might be the "hardest word" but in some cases, such as in business, it's best to say it. If you want to manage your reputation after a negative incident, the best route is to regret what you've done, and then tell your stakeholders how you plan to resolve the issue.

In today's South China Morning Post there were two articles about regret and remedy that attracted my attention and highlighted how apologising and being honest can kill a story.

The first article I read was about the Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo admitting that he was the father of a child conceived while he was still a Catholic bishop. Journalists who were probably ready to go for the President's jugular were shocked when the President admitted that he had in fact fathered the child. They were probably stunned even further when he assumed all responsibilities and recognised the paternity of the child. This, I believe, was the right way to handle the situation. His credibility is still tainted but by being honest he has escaped complete ruin and a mauling by the media.

The other story was about Amazon apologising for a 'glitch' that caused sales rankings on gay-themed books to disappear. A spokesperson for the company apologised for the issue, said it was an "embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloguing error" and that they had fixed the problem and intended to implement new measures to make sure it didn't happen again.

Media interest should subside in both of these cases because the President/Amazon admitted their mistakes, regretted the situation and said that they would take full responsibility for resolving it and making sure it won't happen again.

The good news about PR keeps on coming

The following article has just appeared in Business Week magazine and was highlighted to me via facebook via twitter. Now what was I saying about social networking???

Why PR Is the Prescription
The right story told at the right time can bring valuable attention to your business, even during a downturn....

...The world of the news media is continually changing, and the sooner you get started with a smart, disciplined PR program, the sooner you can enjoy its benefits. It doesn't cost a lot of money and it need not cost a lot of time. All it takes is thoughtfulness and a commitment to respecting both journalists and the audiences they serve.

Read more here.

This could be the right time to speak to a PR agency and launch a PR campaign....

Portraying a positive image

I love seeing pictures of Obama smiling. The feeling I get from him is that everything is going to be okay. His positivity is totally infectious as you can see from the shot above. His reputation around the world is getting stronger and stronger and his million watt smile is exactly what is needed during these tough times. Many business leaders in Hong Kong, and beyond, could learn a lot from Obama.

Remaining positive, hopeful and professional combined with sustained marketing and PR will help to see you through these tough times.

Using the internet to promote your products & manage your reputation

Consumers and businesses' buying behaviour is changing as many countries enter into recession. Buyers are increasingly using the internet to research a product or service before they buy it. They want to make sure that they are buying a quality product or service that will last a long time. And they are being heavily influenced about what others are saying. Word of mouth or WOM is king in the current times.

To support this, a recent survey by Synovate in conjunction with Microsoft Advertising, found that consumers rely on the internet for researching what to buy with 55% referring to the internet before making a purchase.

So it is important that you integrate the internet into any PR and marketing plans.

What's more, you can manage your company's reputation by keeping an eye on what consumers are saying about your company and then tackling any negative coverage. If lots of consumers are saying your company's customer service is bad because no one returns calls. Then do something to improve your customer service response timelines then promote the new and improved service. If a journalist criticises your products then make the appropriate alterations and call him up to invite him to your factory, for example, to see the great changes you have made.

What's great about the internet is that you get the chance to see what people are saying about you. It is open. You can either view this is a challenge or an opportunity. But it is better to know what is being said, and tackling it, rather than putting your head in the sand and ignoring it altogether.