Online Reputation in the Framework of Corporate Communication. An Overview on the Research About Professional Trends and Tendencies.

Abstract

The convergence between the proliferation of new technologies and the rise of management has led to the birth of a new concept: online reputation. This research comes before the need to shape a theoretical framework that strengthens the concept and professionalizes its management. To this end, is being carried out a compilation of definitions and conceptual models from different disciplines that make up the diagnosis on the state of the object of study. Despite the multidisciplinary perspective of the investigation, the leading hypothesis frames online reputation in the specific field of corporate communication. The aim is to show that the reputation online forms part of the corporate reputation and needs to be managed with the same indicators. Thus, the models of online reputation must be aligned with the overall strategy of the company’s reputation. For this reason is refuted the reductionist vision that focus their presentations in the search engine optimization and analysis of the views on social networks. The horizontal nature of the concept matrix —corporate reputation—, coupled with the technical requirements of the online field; allow the rise for the development of a wide range of professional roles. In the research appear the details of the functions of these professionals and also some analyses of the existing monitoring and management tools. Online environment leads to a new way of relationship between companies and stakeholders, based on a multidirectional communicative process, which favours the democratisation of the conversation and contributes to the development of the society.