Whiteboard Stories ...

TPPR does reputation management but our sister company Pendry White is into reputation marketing, largely in the international professional and business services sector. Its Whiteboard blog covers current issues in business and As It Happens readers might like access to the last month's links.

On September 1st, Pendry White looked at the uncertainties surrounding economic recovery and then, as a follow up, detailed the alphabet soup of types of recovery or non-recovery that we might have in the next six months. General conclusion - uncertainty for some time to come.

Whiteboard also picked up on one regular As It Happens theme, the clash between authority and liberty as the technology of communications changes - in this case, it worried about how the new cognitive and behavioural sciences might be used inappropriately by both politicians and marketeers.

Pendry White is, however, cautious about the hype surrounding the new social media. It sees major changes ahead but that the process of adjustment may take longer than the enthusiasts think and it regularly warns against 'snake oil salesmen' over-selling what it can do for business.

Google Wave (now in Beta), on the other hand, does look as if it will be useful for organisations, providing a useful tool between the traditional e-mail and social network spaces. Pendry White gave it a cautious thumbs-up as 'one to watch'.

There was also a review of the increased role of risk management as a positive element in developing long-range marketing plans (based on a reading of an important Ernst & Young survey) and a vigorous complaint about the treatment of core customers by a soya milk producer.

Finally, there was a fairly long critical analysis of the recessionary pressure on fees in the UK legal profession. This suggested that lawyers were almost certainly going to have to shape up and develop improved management techniques and accountability to justify their high fees.

For further information on these or any issues affecting the market for professional, business and financial services, contact Roger White, Managing Director, at Pendry White directly or through TPPR.