According to Webster's dictionary, engineering is defined as calculated manipulation of direction by planning with skill and craft. Image is defined as portraying something in a vivid and tangible manner.

Put together, we here at the Reputation Management group define what we do as Engineering Image -- that is to say we plan with skill and craft the most strategic ways to portray your company in a vivid and tangible manner. We do so in ways that will set you apart from your competition - leaving a lasting impression with your customers.

"If I could remember your name, I'd ask you where I left my keys," is a humorous but very true adage regarding value of name recognition. The goal of an effective communications campaign is not only about remembering your company's name - its about having your customers understand who you are, what you do and how you do it better than your competition. At The Reputation Management Group we'll apply our industry experience, press relationships, compelling strategies and high impact programs to engineer your company's image into one that will be first in the minds of your customers.

"She had lost the art of conversation, but not, unfortunately, the ability to speak." George Bernard Shaw

As the quote above implies, there are a lot of public relations companies out there with the ability to speak, but few who are really adept at the art of conversation on technology.

At the Reputation Management Group, we know technology and we know the technology press. Our experience in the market has made us truly skilled in the "art" of technology conversation. Because our focus is public relations for the technology industry, we know the true market influencers and what to say to interest those who really have their finger on the pulse of your industry. We've developed a targeted approach to gaining exposure in the publications that technology customers are referencing in their buying decisions.

When you get down to it -- public relations is the process of reputation management. It's the strategic management of how your good name - often your most valuable asset - is used, branded and publicized. It's the skill to be able to speak to the press about the subjects of interest to them and the ability to educate and enlighten them with ideas and information they may not have previously considered. It's sharing key information about your company with those who have influence in the market and the ear of your potential customers.

Public relations activities and advertising are often confused. They are both important elements in a comprehensive effort to educate the market about your company and service -- however, they are very different.

A good way to remember the difference is that advertising is a paid endorsement -- an ad that a company purchases in a publication in order to gain exposure for its product or service with a targeted audience. The ad runs when a company says it should, as often as the company says it should and says exactly what the company wants it to say. However, because it is a paid-for endorsement, it carries much less credibility than the editorial exposure achieved through public relations activities.

Public Relations enlists the editorial portion of publications to share information about a client's products and services by developing close working relationships with editors and educating (and ultimately convincing) them that your company's product or service is worth telling the industry about. Editorial coverage is extremely valuable because it is considered as an unbiased third-party endorsement. In other words, no one forces a reporter or editor to write about a product or service. It's generally accepted that if someone decides to cover a company's offering, it is due to the merits of the product or service and its value in the marketplace.

Every day, your potential customers turn to key publications in your market for product advice, reviews and suggestions from knowledgeable, unbiased sources. An effective public relations campaign is essential to communicating your value to your customers.

Everyone's heard the famous Thomas Edison quote "build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door." Unfortunately, even the best mousetrap (or any other product) won't get noticed by potential customers if someone isn't out there touting its virtues to the world. How's anyone going to know about it without a concentrated effort to put it in front of the people who influence the market? The Reputation Management Group will not only get your product or service noticed, but will get it noticed by the thought leaders to whom your customers are turning for product advice, reviews and suggestions.

What's it all cost? Frankly speaking, a good public relations campaign represents many times the clout of advertising at a fraction of the cost. In advertising, a single ad for a single day in a major newspaper can cost as much as one year of public relations monthly fees. Radio and magazine advertising can cost five times that and television ads can run ten to fifteen times the price of one year of public relations services.

At the Reputation Management Group, we work closely with our clients to conceive and develop customized, scaleable programs to meet their communications needs and fit their budgets.