Crystal Amberlyn

People have reputations and so do companies. In both situations, they mean a lot. The main difference is a person will survive if he or she has a bad reputation, but a company may not. In “Measure What Matters,” Katie Paine explains how your company’s reputation can have large effects on its success. Through my experience as a consumer, I have noticed once a company’s reputation turns negative in my mind, it can be hard to turn it around. Therefore, it is important to pay close attention to your reputation and be prepared when a threat to your reputation arrives. Paine explains “crises occur when events threaten your reputation.” Some crises are bound to occur, but they can possibly be avoided. First, listen carefully to your audience. Notice how Paine adds “carefully.” What are their complaints? What do they value about your company? If your customers value your products are made in America, odds are it is not best to move your production to China. Also, it is really important...

In Katie Paine’s “Measure What Matters,” she highlights an interesting dilemma many people may not think of. In order to grow your company, you might expand it overseas or through franchises. This is great, but you may encounter some issues. You might be at risk of losing control of communication and consistency. Paine particularly highlights franchises. Separate franchises seem to be given more freedom. Therefore, it is highly likely for inconsistencies to form between franchises and the corporation. Some may not see the importance of this, but it can have some harmful effects. What if a franchise harms the company’s image? I can imagine this happening with fast-food franchises. Pretend one McDonald’s franchise does not follow proper food preparation procedures. Someone sees the issue, shares their findings on the media and the McDonald’s image is damaged. Although it was only one franchise, the whole corporation takes a hit. Paine also explains by having these franchises or exp...

Consumers are always the primary focus when marketing. You want to learn as much as you can about what they think and what they do. It turns out, we are forgetting a different audience. We forget about our own employees. In “Measure What Matters,” Katie Paine explains the importance of communication with your employees and how to do so. Employees are just like any other consumer. They have their own opinions, and they choose which products they wish to purchase. Although your business is where they are getting their paycheck, this does not mean they will automatically become advocates for your company. Therefore, it is important to reach your employees and learn what they think, say and do as well. Since we know the importance of communication with our employees, how do we do it? Luckily, Paine provides a plan. 1.        First, understand where your employees truly get their information. Learn what messages your employees are receiving and how th...

In “Measure What Matters” by Katie Paine, Paine mentions a subject which caught my attention. The subject is quantifying the authority of a writer or poster on social media. Paine provides a list of ways to determine the influence or authority of the writer. Some of the list items seem quite obvious, but one surprises me. The more obvious list items used to determine authority on social media include: ·        The number of followers the user has. ·        The number of special references and citations the user has on Twitter. ·        The frequency at which the user is uniquely retweeted. ·        The frequency at which the user is uniquely retweeting other people. ·        The frequency at which the user posts updates. Clearly, a user can be seen to have more authority when he or she has more followers and is more act...