Aon spotlights image protection

by Gill Montia

Story link: Aon spotlights image protection

Aon is urging broadcasting and telecommunications businesses to review the means by which they protect their image and reputation, particularly when taking into account the role of subcontractors.

This role has recently come into sharp focus because of incidents relating to misleading programme content and the scandal surrounding television phone-in competitions.

In these cases it could be argued that sub-contractors have created the problem but that the programmers have suffered the damage to reputation.

According to Aon’s Global Risk Management Survey 2007, media companies see negative publicity is a major threat and as a result, crisis management plans exist in over two-thirds of the sector.

However, 30% of media companies have no such plans and Aon is recommending that the growing trend towards multi-media services needs a proactive risk management approach.

Aon is advising that in the process of managing threats to its reputation, an organisation should asses the reaction of key stakeholder groups to a range of unexpected events.

From there a business can develop a structured approach that goes beyond crisis management and a public relations plan.

To achieve this, the organsation needs to assess and manage its dependencies on third parties and most particularly its outsourcing partners.