Corporate Identity Gone Bad

A corporate identity is defined as the way an organization is presented to or perceived by its members as well as the public, furthermore it is the intent of a company to ensure their perception is a positive one. A company or organization works to build their credibility and reputation with their customers, yet it seems within the blink of an eye their corporate identity is ruined. The following companies made some choices that have now deemed them in need of a Public Relations Makeover.

The NRA

With the recent mass shootings in Aurora Colorado and at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the NRA has been under fire for their lack of sincerity and compassion in commenting on the situations. The morning after the Aurora shooting their twitter post was, “Good Morning Shooters. Happy Friday! Weekend plans?” There was no apology just a criticism by NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam who claimed the comment was taken out of context. Subsequently after the Sandy Hook shooting they were quiet. When critics were asking for a comment after the shooting there was none. They stayed quiet for a week. When the director finally spoke he gave the perception that it was more of an aggressive, accusatory press conference showing concern for their 2nd Amendment Rights, than the organization giving a compassionate statement for the situation.

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart has many obstacles to overcome to improve their corporate identity. Wal-Mart has been subject to criticism by numerous groups and individuals. Wal-Mart’s strongest adversaries are their customers and employees. They have protested the loudest against Wal-Mart for their business practices, this including charges of racial and gender discrimination. Wal-Mart has also been criticized for their outsourcing and most recently their bribery scandal. There have been allegations that

Bank of America

It is a definite red flag when the CEO of a company publically asks for a PR overhaul, and that is what Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan did. He sent out a memo to advertising agencies asking for help. They knew then need a new image for many reasons. Remember Occupy Wall Street, the foreclosure debacle, the massive amount of lawsuits, and the proposed debit card fees that were stopped by a 22 year old who started a social media campaign against them? Bank of America was voted the worst or second worst company in America two years in a row, and that is about as low as your corporate image can sink The question is, can Bank of America recover? Some disgruntled customers created a website with a likeness to the Bank of America website called Your Bank of America ,Your BoA, to show their frustration for the bank and their business practices.

When something happens to damage a company’s reputation steps must be taken to restore the company’s good image. Some things a company can do range from admitting their wrong doing, hold the decision makers accountable and learn from the examples of others. These companies need to remember that “Corporate credibility is like a porous rock: It doesn’t break easily in the short-term but the slow drip-drip of bad news can cause some real damage.”