Question: In the realm of evolving technology and social media, the importance of reputation management has grown significantly. How do you perceive the value of classic reputation management in today’s digital landscape, and what sets your approach apart from marketers familiar with SERM and ORM techniques?

Masha: The classic job of a reputation manager involves more than just technical expertise; it encompasses the art of crafting an alternative biography that resonates positively with the intended audience. In the realm of digital marketing, where algorithms shape online search results, our role extends beyond conventional search engine optimization (SEO) techniques like SERM (Search Engine Reputation Management) and ORM (Online Reputation Management).

We view reputation management as a nuanced process, with a primary focus on creating a compelling narrative. Our team combines technical prowess in working with search engines with a profound understanding of sociology, politics, and archetypes within national consciousness. By analyzing audience expectations, we tailor our strategies to not only reinforce the positive attributes of a client profile but also strategically navigate and diminish any negative elements.

Question: You’ve been involved in running election campaigns globally for many years. How does your political consultancy experience contribute to reputation building, and how does it differ from traditional reputation management strategies?

Masha: Drawing from extensive experience in running election campaigns globally, our political consultancy background has endowed us with a unique skill set rooted in sociology. While working as political consultants, we delved into understanding people’s expectations, demands, and the dynamics that resonate with the majority. This wealth of political technology experience translates seamlessly into our current endeavors in reputation management.

Our ability to comprehend societal expectations and distinguish between the needs of diverse audiences is a testament to the applicability of our political consultancy skills. Having honed these skills on a national scale, we now apply them to narrower client audiences, where the goal extends beyond suppressing negative information to the strategic creation of a new, positive image tailored specifically to the target audience.

Question: When dealing with high-profile clients, such as international business owners, how do you approach reputation correction? Can you elaborate on the complexities and the typical duration of such correction cycles?

Masha: Imagine the scenario where our client, a High Net Worth Individual (HNWI) and international business owner, seeks to undergo compliance procedures in Europe or the USA. The objective is not only to navigate these intricacies but also to organize affairs for the client and their family within the local business environment. Depending on the image the client wishes to project, our engagement typically spans a duration of 4-8 months.

The client plays a pivotal role in this process by setting the main goal — determining how they want to be perceived and by which specific audiences. In the past, a clear-cut profile of an ideal Russian client was prevalent: intelligent, well-educated, rich, and successful, with a distinct business background. However, the contemporary geopolitical landscape introduces challenges, where nationality itself can become a disqualifying factor in achieving a positive image.

In response to these challenges, our approach involves tactful maneuvers, sometimes even necessitating the transformation of nationality. For instance, Russians may strategically present themselves as Kazakhs or Jews to mitigate potential biases. It’s not merely about suppressing national identity but rather about adapting to the sensitivities of different audiences.

An additional layer of complexity arises when considering influential national minorities. The definition of “goodness” varies across diverse audiences. Managing perceptions requires a delicate balance — supporting one group, such as Jews, without inadvertently offending another, like Palestinians. This intricate maneuvering is crucial in our work, requiring a nuanced understanding of geopolitical dynamics.

In the contemporary Western cultural context, the challenge deepens as traditional archetypes of a “good Russian” or “good Iranian” become increasingly elusive. Our work takes on added complexity as individuals, who have not compromised themselves in any way, find themselves unjustly stigmatized based solely on their passport.

Our doors are often open to those who have faced discrimination due to political circumstances. These individuals seek our expertise not because of any personal compromise but because their nationality alone renders them persona non grata. In navigating these challenges, we become advocates for those who, in the absence of our strategic guidance, might face unjust exclusion from certain opportunities solely based on geopolitical factors.

Question: Is it possible for a client to achieve bank compliance based only on a neutral ranking in the top 20 results of search engines, or must the client have a positive profile?

Masha: A neutral rendition is indeed sufficient to meet compliance standards. Compliance officers extensively review databases such as World-Check and LexisNexis, which primarily contain dossiers based on negative information. In these databases, positive articles are notably absent, as compliance officers are primarily concerned with identifying potential risks. If a client’s name appears in these databases, it indicates that they may be a Politically Exposed Person (PEP) or that there is information about criminal cases or other factors that could pose a risk to a credit institution if the client were to open an account.

Question: How do you create a trustworthy status in the media environment that is relied upon by compliance officers, banks, and other regulatory institutions?

Masha: The establishment of a trustworthy status in the media environment involves a meticulous process. We begin by defining the future image of the client and identifying the media resources suitable for disseminating information about the client to the target audience. Specifically tailored to the compliance procedure the client needs to undergo, they provide us with the “trustworthiness criteria” that must be met. These criteria vary across different audiences; for instance, what banks consider trustworthy may differ significantly from the standards set by the Chinese government. Our role is to understand and align with these criteria, ensuring that the client’s media presence reflects the desired image and meets the expectations of diverse regulatory bodies and institutions.

Question: Wikipedia is often a key source of information for many. How crucial is it for a reputation manager to work with a client’s Wikipedia page, and what techniques does your team employ in this regard?

Masha: Recognizing Wikipedia as a primary source of information in the digital age, we understand the significance of a positive Wikipedia presence in the realm of reputation management. The reliance of compliance officers on easily accessible information underscores the importance of crafting and maintaining a positive narrative on this platform.

It’s crucial to note that compliance officers often refer to reputable publications, and Wikipedia predominantly relies on such sources. In the intricate world of reputation management, where every detail matters, we work diligently with a pool of experienced Wikipedia writers. Their expertise is essential in not only ensuring that the client’s Wikipedia page remains positive but also in countering edits from adversaries. This battleground of information often involves a daily war, with our writers strategically navigating the challenges posed by rival editors, ensuring that the client’s narrative remains untarnished on this influential platform.

Question: How do you handle negative information about your client on less reputable online platforms that could hinder compliance? Do you offer legal assistance to remove irrelevant data?

Masha: Addressing negative information on less reputable online platforms is a multifaceted process. When there are stories in the media leading to court decisions, our legal team intervenes, making it relatively straightforward to remove such material. We maintain direct contact with influential entities such as Google and World-check, ensuring that a court ruling is sufficient to eliminate information from search engine results.

However, when dealing with more speculative or likely information, the challenge is greater. Journalists, with the right to express their views, can perpetuate narratives that continue to affect our clients years later. This is where the expertise of a reputation manager comes into play. We replace negative information with a positive interpretation, often with a more recent release date. Additionally, when faced with unsubstantiated accusations on compromising resources, we leverage legal channels, sending letters or negotiating with resource owners. Our team has developed a tailored methodology for handling each type of negative information, ensuring a comprehensive approach.

Question: How do you manage search results in the various countries where your large clients operate, considering legal dual citizenship and language differences? What international databases do you utilize?

Masha: When working with clients aiming to undergo compliance procedures or relocate, our approach involves a meticulous examination of search results in the specific territories that matter to them. We collaborate with the client to understand what compliance officers, various structures, and Internet users see in their target countries. For each country, we assess what information is available on the internet and, if negative articles exist, we strategically move them down in search results or remove them using legal methods.

Our unique approach includes crafting content that is seen by the people important to the client, even allowing geographical tagging for personalized communication. This enables us to strategically influence the narrative and ensure that positive information takes precedence in the online landscape.

Question: The cycle of work on creating a client’s digital profile can last from several months to a year. How do you handle emerging negativity, especially when a company is about to go public or engage in M&A transactions?

Masha: Managing the dynamics of emerging negativity, particularly in critical periods such as IPOs or M&A transactions, requires a vigilant and proactive strategy. We recognize that compromising situations are not necessarily the result of competitor intrigue. Clients may inadvertently find themselves entangled in journalistic investigations. Anti-crisis PR becomes paramount, and our comprehensive team, comprising PR specialists, lawyers, defamation experts, journalists, and writers, native speakers in various languages, collaborates to address any emerging challenges.

Question: Do you offer reputation maintenance services, and if so, what does it entail?

Masha: Our commitment to clients doesn’t end after addressing negativity and crafting a renewed image. Reputation requires ongoing management, and our role is to provide continuous support to keep our client’s profile at a commendable level. The term “digital profile” doesn’t fully capture our scope; we engage in comprehensive reputation management that permeates all aspects of a client’s life. This involves tangible actions such as creating charitable organizations, facilitating participation in conferences, and supporting social network activities. We ensure that what is seen about the client online is not fabricated but stems from real-life engagements. We manage social media, monitor emerging media threats, and respond promptly. Typically, we maintain long-term, positive relationships with our clients on a retainer basis, actively preserving the digital profile we’ve meticulously created.

In conclusion, Masha Ionochkina’s avant-garde approach to reputation management stands as a sophisticated synthesis of technical expertise and a profound understanding of societal dynamics within the contemporary digital milieu. Moving beyond the confines of conventional SEO techniques such as SERM and ORM, her methodology revolves around the meticulous crafting of positive narratives that resonate with diverse audiences, taking into consideration sociological nuances, political landscapes, and national sentiments.

Drawing on a rich background in political consultancy, particularly in steering global election campaigns, Masha’s team has honed an acute awareness of societal expectations and the emotive dynamics that resonate with individuals.

This unique insight is now deployed to recalibrate client reputations, going beyond the mere suppression of negative information to strategically create a renewed, positive image finely attuned to specific target audiences.

In the realm of high-profile clientele, particularly international business leaders, Masha’s reputation correction approach sometimes unfolds over months, perhaps even a year in special cases.

It may even be an ongoing occurrence in the timeline where reputation “maintenance” is done over certain periods. Negotiating through potential geopolitical pitfalls where nationality might become a disqualifying factor in image rehabilitation, Masha’s team navigates with finesse.

Employing inventive strategies like nationality transformation and delicately managing perceptions in interactions with influential national minorities, the team ensures that support for one group does not inadvertently alienate another. Within the evolving tapestry of cultural dynamics, where traditional archetypes are increasingly elusive, the complexity of her work intensifies.

The team frequently finds itself advocating for individuals subjected to discrimination due to political circumstances, championing the cause of those unjustly stigmatised or excluded on geopolitical grounds. Masha asserts that a neutral online ranking is compliant with industry standards, as compliance officers primarily focus on identifying and neutralising potential risks while also assisting in crafting positive narratives.

This meticulous approach extends to crafting trustworthy media presences by aligning with diverse institutional criteria, ensuring that clients’ digital footprints meet varied expectations and regulatory standards.