Llorente y Cuenca Launches a Book About Reputation

On Thursday, March 10, the book Integrity and Reputation written by Llorente y Cuenca Consultants was released, which discusses the importance of reputation and integrity in corporate communications. The authors explore various emblematic cases that exemplify the role of communications in maintaining a good reputation.

This initiative by Llorente y Cuenca speaks to the central theme of Aberje in 2016, “Dialogue to Lead.” The book provides the agency with a vehicle to share the vast knowledge they have acquired in their many years of experience. Jose Antonio Cuenca, founding partner and president of the company agrees with the need for dialogue, but also notes that the purpose of the book is to establish integrity as a benchmark and a fundamental element of reputation. Moreover, in his initial essay, he points out that to be a professional communicator is a challenging task and it is essential that they “work with the truth, trust and credibility.”

Marco Antonio Sabino, partner and president of S/A Llorente & Cuenca, also commented on the importance of the communicator in maintaining the integrity and positive reputation of the company. He compares the profession of being a communicator with of that of three others: lawyers, insurance brokers and meteorologists. Like lawyers, the communicator must allow the client to present their perspective of the story, since there is, in fact, more than one version of the same event. As with insurance brokers, Sabino says, the communicator must also learn to predict risk – which he classifies as natural risks, management risks, operational risks and risks in the business environment. Finally, the communicator must be, above all, a meteorologist. It is up to them to not only deal with different sides of an issue and predict risk, but also to anticipate events, storms.

The importance of reputation, however, is still the most prevalent issue. Sabino cautions that what is “more important than the product of a company is its image and reputation.” For this reason, a close relationship between the CEO and the CCO is essential in creating and promoting strategies that guarantee a good reputation and a positive public image. He also states that social networks are an environment where there is a great deal of passion. Therefore, issues addressed in these circumstances often tend to be viewed as a dichotomy of “good versus bad”.

The book (in Spanish) can be downloaded here.