Jeremy Clarkson is a household name for car enthusiasts all over the world. He is the quintessential wisecracker presenter, whose name has become almost synonymous with the brand “Top Gear”. For many Jeremy Clarkson is Top Gear, and Top Gear is Jeremy Clarkson. But then, the unexpected happened. Recently, the BBC sacked Jeremy Clarkson following a row, which involved him and a Top Gear producer, ending his long reign over the most widely viewed motoring show on TV. Despite attempts by fans all over the world to bring him back to the beloved show.
But then, the unexpected happened. Recently, the BBC sacked Jeremy Clarkson following a row, which involved him and a Top Gear producer, ending his long reign over the most widely viewed motoring show on TV. This happened despite attempts by fans all over the world to bring him back to the beloved show.
Now the big question is, what’s next for Clarkson? His reputation definitely needs some cleaning up after the mess he has created for himself. Mind you, the event which caused him to lose his job at the BBC wasn’t the only trouble he had been involved in. He got himself into quite a lot of controversies in the past, including calling former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown a “one-eyed idiot” in 2009.
If people, the millions of fans especially, are to see him again in Top Gear, or any other show, what could save him? In the age of the Internet and social media, it’s quite easy to blow things out of proportion, just as easy as it is to clean things up. Solid reputation management could do both. Perhaps it’s time Jeremy Clarkson had a good reputation management strategy.
So what is reputation management?
Reputation management is a tool that allows a person, a company or a brand to look good in the eyes of the public. In online marketing, online reputation management (ORM) is a branding process that makes someone or something better.
Below are four ways solid reputation management could redeem Jeremy Clarkson.
Reputation management could create a powerful re-branding game-plan for Jeremy Clarkson
This is what reputation management is all about – to re-brand someone or something. But not all reputation management programs are created equal. Some only involve one channel, like the traditional media or the press. What Clarkson needs is a holistic approach that involves every channel, especially the ones most used by people these days – the Internet. Blogs, YouTube and social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest could be used simultaneously to create an entirely new image, which could make the public fall in love with Jeremy Clarkson all over again.
Reputation management could help him reach out to people better through social media
It seems that traditional media has seen better days. People now turn to social media for news, entertainment and gossip. It has provided a better way for personalities and companies to reach out to a more far-reaching audience. Social media is one of the tools online reputation management utilises, to allow embattled brands to communicate to their target audience. With this approach, Jeremy Clarkson could use a managed process to speak out, and reach out to millions of people, fans and non-fans alike, using Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Reputation management could help clean up some of the mess he did in the past
If you are familiar with Search Engine Optimisation or SEO, you know how some of the most talked about topics regarding someone, a brand or a company could appear high in search results. Reputation management could take care of that, not by removing all of the bad press from search, that’s impossible, but by somehow burying them deep down with fresh, and compelling content pieces. A good reputation management program could highlight the things that Clarkson may be undertaking to clean himself up, and get those to rank high in search.
Reputation management could remind people of Jeremy Clarkson’s best side
People are always going to dig up stuff about Jeremy Clarkson online, and things that caused him negative press will always show up. With a solid reputation management program, Clarkson’s best side, or the things that people love about him could be brought up high in search, YouTube, Facebook and other social media channels. Web pages and branded social media pages could be set up to highlight the moments that defined him as the best presenter people all over the world have known.
It’s too early to tell what’s next for Jeremy Clarkson. We don’t know whether he will choose to stay away from the spotlight for a while or choose to clean himself up under the public eye’s scrutiny, with the help of a good reputation management strategy. We’ll see how things work out for him in the coming days.
To find out more about our online reputation management service, let’s talk today. Contact us or call us on 1800 778 615 for a chat.
*Image Source: The Lad Bible
