The term "public relations", or PR, has long been part of the Russian lexicon. However, there are many definitions of this concept. They are united by a common idea: Public relations is a system of actions, the purpose of which is to manage, change and subsequently direct public opinion in the direction necessary for the company to create and maintain its positive and ideal image in the eyes of the potential audience.
What is the difference between reputation and image? Are they synonyms? In most sources, you can see that the definitions have virtually no differences. From which follows the conclusion: the set of procedures for the formation of both reputation and image will be relatively the same. Let's consider this issue in more detail.
Let's turn to official sources - dictionaries - for help. There are several definitions here, but let's choose the main idea.
Image is the overall picture of a company or person:
reputation and prestige created by actions and official statements in the eyes of an individual or the public;
an emotional portrait formed in the mind of one individual or an entire group in relation to a specific person or organization.
The dictionary of social kazakhstan email list sciences provides definitions of both image and reputation. Therefore, one can feel the difference in the two terms. Image is a complex of certain qualities and features created through the influence of advertising, traditions, fashion, etc. and intended to form a certain opinion in relation to the subject.
At the same time, reputation is an already formed public opinion about the characteristics of a particular subject.
The main definitions that characterize "image" are "representation", "image", and when mentioning reputation, the words "fame" and "opinion" often appear. That is, image gives form, and reputation fills it with content.
When speaking about image, we most often mean an image or impression created artificially and for a short time about a certain object in the mind of a person or a whole group of people. It is worth noting that different subjects interacting with one company will form unique ideas and opinions about one person. The reason is that each audience receives different information and has a personal history of relations with the object.
Download a free selection of tools for calculating KPIs and increasing marketing metrics
Alexander Kuleshov
Alexander Kuleshov
General Director of Sales Generator LLC
Read more posts on my personal blog:
Over the past 7 years, we have conducted over 23,000 comprehensive website audits and I have learned that all of us as leaders need clear and working algorithms for our marketing and sales.
Today we will share with you 6 of the most valuable documents that we have developed for our clients.
Download for free and implement today:
Step-by-step guide to creating marketing KPIs
Template for calculating KPIs for a marketer
9 Examples of Universal Selling Commercial Proposals
Upgrade your CPs to close more deals
How to make KPI for the sales department so that profits grow by 20% or more?
Step-by-step template for calculating KPIs for OP managers
Checklist of 12 main indicators for website promotion
Find out what metrics are needed to properly optimize your website
40 Services for Working with Blog Content
We have collected the best services for working with content
How to define your target audience without mistakes?
A proven guide to defining a company's target audience
Download the collection for free
pdf 8.3 mb
doc 3.4 mb
Already downloaded
153399
Let's take a trade union as an example. It has its own image in the eyes of different target groups. For local authorities, the union represents a certain portrait, for a group member - another, and for a person who is not an activist, the union's image may be radically different from the vision of the rest of the audience.
Thus, it is clear that the image does not carry any economic or social values and does not reflect the deep parameters of the organization. On the other hand, reputation indicates the opinion about the trade union built up over the years, its stability and numbers, and stable relationships between the members of the group and the authorities.
While image may vary depending on the target group, is formed quickly and for a short period of time, reputation in the eyes of the public takes much longer to earn. It characterizes the behavior of an object based on collected data on the actual actions of the company, on the obligations imposed on it, on crisis management methods, on solutions for overcoming difficulties that have arisen, etc.
By taking such steps, the company creates a certain reputation, proving that it can be relied upon. Competent management of the company's image helps to attract new consumers, and the reputation helps to retain these customers.