A2 - Individual Report (live project)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2

2. Identification of one reputation management issue of 3

The company 3

3.Company’s response to the issue in its approach to brand communications 4

3.1 The PITCH Model 4

3.2 Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) 7

3.3 Triple Bottom Line (TBL) theory 9

4. 5 KPIs identified that are specific for the company 12

5. Conclusion 15

References 16

1. Introduction

In this report it shall cover the image problem the organisation The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre are facing by either focusing on the beliefs about their treatment methods. Moreover, the views concerning the level of care. It has been discussed in this section the application of the PITCH Model, the SCCT theory as well as the triple-bottom line (TBL) theory to come up with strategies for these obstacles. Besides that, envision KPIs which are associated with the specific outcomes measuring the advance in resolution of these problems. One objective of the evaluation is to compare the effectiveness of these techniques. So as to provide a set of applicable measures that would guarantee the firm's reputation is safeguarded and the organisation continues to thrive.

Figure 1 : The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre logo

(Source : The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre, 2024)

2. Identification of one reputation management issue of

The company

One of the reputation issue managements that The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre could face is people's way of seeing effectiveness of their treatment and level of care that they provide. For example, if there are stories or bad ratings popping up on various media or in the community that state that treatments are ineffective or support is low. That will negatively influence referrals. This ill sensation could be triggered by multiple. The causes include different factors for instance getting confused, individual events, and misleading information (Voorveld, 2019). The company can name several examples such as customers’ dissatisfaction with the treatment result or interaction breakdown between the centre and its patients. This can lead to negative feedback, bad publicity or online reviews which will bring down the organisation's image.

There are several challenges that might get associated with patients’ confidence and trust such as lowering or even eliminating their trust and supporters’ confidence. Moreover, negative comments or reviews which would be spread online in the era. When social media discussions matter the most could contribute to an accumulation of negative perception and the long-term damage of the reputation of the centre.

When the demands for improvement are addressed, immediate and effective measures should be taken to minimise any damage to the centre's reputation. Part of this involves dealing with patient complaints. However, not only that and also proactively informing the public about the centre’s goal to have superior patient care and its treatment effectiveness. As well as steps taken to meet the clients’ feedback and improve services (Mao et al., 2020). The fact that the centre is transparent, reactive, and stays in active contact with the public will be helpful in that it will help win back the community’s trust, and maintain its good reputation.

3.Company’s response to the issue in its approach to brand communications

3.1 The PITCH Model

Through the action plan that The PITCH Model suggested, The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre are well within their capacity to handle the reputation issue concerning the image of treatment effectiveness and the standard of care (Vo Minh et al., 2022). ”PITCH” Modelling which obeys the pattern Purpose, Insight, Target, Communication, and Hook is a known instruction to create a definite way of brand communications strategy. Here's how the company could apply The PITCH Model to address the issue:Here's how the company could apply The PITCH Model to address the issue:

Purpose:

Mission, value and vision as main components of the The PITCH Model, which stresses the significance of setting more clear objectives for an organisation. The aims of The Bedford and Northams MS Therapy Centre are to make available natural therapeutic remedies that give lasting relief in most cases for MS patients (Huerta-Álvarez et al., 2020). The centre's function is to look for ways to improve the Plight of MS patients and make sure that they are adequately cared for and receive the best support they can get to manage their condition.

Insight:

At the level of insight, the organisation captures insights about the mindset, viewpoints and the level of expectations of all the stakeholders. The Bedford and Northampton MS Therapy centre takes this problem into account and they should do a thorough research on issues that bring the idea of low treatment effectiveness and poor care. Such a process might be viewed in terms of investigating patients’ feedback, organising surveys, and keeping tabs on online comments and social media discussions.

Target:

The selected component focuses on identifying the group which is the main audience, or organic community associated with the organisation's campaigns. The following audience are the priority like current patients, the possible patients, the caregivers, the healthcare professional and general public. Every segment of the audience may have their own set of informative needs and communication ways. Thus, each should be dealt with in a style that accommodates the tailored messaging and outreach strategies (Febriyantoro, 2020).

Communication:

In the communication stage, the organisation constructs and executes a communication plan based on all-around approaches that will deliberately take care of the issue of reputation and restore confidence among all stakeholders. The key elements of the communication plan includeThe key elements of the communication plan include:

● Transparency: The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre deems the outcome of the treatments and the quality of services important enough to be transparent and open about. Firstly, the communication will be about injection protocols, success rates of procedures or treatments, more comprehensive reviews of patients' testimonials, and qualifications and background of specialists (Soedarsono et al., 2020).

● Education: Through patient and public education, this centre works to explain MS, its symptoms, treatment options, and the necessity of early approach and consistent surveillance. Through education of patients to acquire knowledge the centre facilitates the forming of confident decisions and the reduction of fear and insecurity.

● Engagement: The centre plunges itself directly into the lives of patients, caregivers, and other healthcare players by utilising various communication methods such as newsletters, social media, support groups, and educational events. Through promoting interaction and good communication ways, the centre creates a firm relationship and trust with various stakeholders through two-way communication.

● Empathy: The Center shows its compassion and empathy when communicating regarding patients with MS and their families who are battling with the problems and difficulties (Pairo-Castineira et al., 2023). Via empathy and care the centre tries to make sure that the patient knows that each case is being worked on for the sake of his/her individual well-being.

Hook:

As part of the PITCH Model, hooks or hooks are crafted, in the form of key promises or a compelling message, which users will relate with. The company hopes that The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre is able to grab a hold of the reader with the success stories and the positive outcomes the treatment centres have. The centre's efforts centre around demonstrating to its patients how others have experienced life improvements and end up with better quality of life (Howell et al., 2022). The place becomes the hub of hope and satisfaction whenever people see this.

Overall, with the application of The PITCH Model to its brand communication strategy, The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre could tackle the problem of reputation in which the effectiveness of treatment and provision of adequate care are questioned by audiences positively. By deliberately integrating certain approaches during the message creation, dedication to the cause of message, deep understanding of stakeholders, intentional communication, and hooky headlines, the centre can build trust, reduce negative perceptions, and preserve its reputation as a resilient provider of MS therapies and services.

3.2 Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT)

Figure 2 : The Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT)

(Source : ResearchGate, 2024)

The Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) is a theory which describes a theory of crisis communication, developed by W. Timothy Coombs in 2007 within the field of crisis communication. It says that the approaches of crisis communication should be in accordance with the seriousness and duration of the damage and possible effect on organisational reputation. SCCT emphasises two key factors: crisis responsibility and reputation though.

Crisis Responsibility: This stands for the public image of an enterprise as being culpable for the crisis at hand. Such responsibility can vary from a lack of accountability to the highest degree of responsibility or even a combination. The understanding of the crisis is accountability at the core of the message creation process.

Reputational Threat: This is aimed at the reputation risk, evaluating to what extent the organisation might be adversely affected and represented by the community and constituency as a consequence of the crisis. One of the key factors is the severity of reputation risk (Howard et al., 2020). The severity depends on the media covered, the stakeholders preferences and the public sentiment.

Based on the combination of crisis responsibility and reputational threat, SCCT proposes four main crisis response strategies:

Denial: Used when the organisation has little to no responsibility for the crisis and the chances of the crisis having a negative implication or attracting public outrage are low. In this kind of crisis management, there is a taking up of the crisis denial or the dispute of its occurrence and its severity is done to shelter the organisation image.

Diminishment: Turn these sentences into a single one when the corporation acknowledges that it has taken some portion of responsibility. However, they still try to make sure that the incident does not have a considerable impact on the image. This tactic includes obscuring the seriousness or adverse effects of the crisis as well as highlighting the match or countermeasures taken by introducing other factors.

Rebuilding: The relevant method is applied whenever the organisation is perceived to hold a high level of accountability of the crisis, and there is a big threat to the reputation at hand (Zhang et al., 2022). This approach is intended to restore full responsibility, outline sincere sorrow and specific measures, and rebuild stakeholders` confidence in the company.

Bolstering: Used for an incident which affects the good name of the organisation severely, however, for which the institution bears little or no responsibility. This plan focuses on stressing the characteristics of the company that are deemed positive. Past remedial actions undertaken and the organisation's continuous commitment to the concerned parties to avert a reputational crisis.

SCCT is a pointer here and it is important that crisis communication strategies be appropriately done to the level of the crisisIt highlights the importance of quick. Moreover, proactive actions, open, consistent and targeted communication actions which can help to de-escalate the crisis and safeguard organisations' reputation.

Even if the SCCT gives a valuable framework for studying as well as coping with the crises, still, there are some limits. Critical comments mention the fact that the theory may be too simplistic by showing that while it is very helpful in understanding crisis communication, it also does not account for the fact that crises have dynamic natures. Furthermore, crisis responsibility versus reputation threat is linked to the unwieldy nature of real-world crises (Stournaras et al., 2021). This may seem to be a binary category but in fact, it may be possible to explain the cause and effect of the situation better.

3.3 Triple Bottom Line (TBL) theory

Applying the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) theory to address the reputation management issue faced by The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre involves considering the impacts of its actions on three key dimensions: environment, employees, and business profits. This initiative is designed to emphasise either the organisation's response to how well their treatment tends to be seen by the general public or the level of care given in their brand communications.

People: People dimension is an essential feature of the TBL theory, as it underlines the need for the social responsibility and communities’ interests welfare including patients, employees, and community members. To address the reputation issue, The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre can prioritise people by:

● Enhancing Patient-Centred Communication: The centre can follow a patient-centred approach in its content role echoing care, sympathy, and understanding (Hyde et al., 2022). Through listening to the patient often, attending to the totality of their needs and encouraging them to participate in decision-making, the centre can achieve the satisfaction and trust of the patients.

● Empowering Patients with Information: Such a centre can give patients the opportunity to build a solid knowledge base and thus make informed decisions by way of many different things ranging from treatment options. Moreover, expected results as well as the quality of care provided. Fair communication program stimulates patients to believe in the centre's services and makes them trust the staff.

● Investing in Staff Training: To be giving quality care, health care providers are supposed to be well-trained, equipped and ever ready to meet the needs of the patients. Additionally, they will find great services there and also they will trust the services being provided by the health care provider (Alsop, 2022). Investing project funds in long-term programs of staff improvement in the related areas of patient communication, empathy, and clinical skills can be utilised at the centre.

Planet: The "planet" side of the TBL theory talks about environmental sustainability and the organisation's footprint on Ecology. Although this is not linked to the credibility problem, a move to tackle the environmental concerns can only add on a reputation mission at the institution. The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre can respond to the issue by:

● Implementing Sustainable Practices: The centre can bring sustainability into practice by developing sustainable activities like low energy consumption, waste management, and purchasing eco-friendly materials for their operations (Shi et al., 2020). Conveying about these actions to stakeholders aids to support the notion that the centre is eco friendly and for the good of the society.

● Engaging in Community Outreach: Within the community centre, the community can become a partner of the environmental campaign. As well as to educate the public on environmental issues and how to adopt eco-friendly practices. This highlights the institution's involvement in building a better community. This in turn, can promote a respectable image for this social responsibility organisation.

Profit: The "profit" element of the TBL theory is concerned with the issue of economic sustainability and generating financial profits. Despite profit or the centre's prosperity should not be achieved on grounds, patient care and ethical considerations should not be cheated (Clements et al., 2022). The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre can respond to the reputation issue by:

● Demonstrating Value for Money: Through the centre communication platform, the colour of its services is underlined with patients receiving quality care and good health as the results delivered. Value-addition and positive ROI of the therapies and the centre's mere dedication to treating the patients properly will create an impression about the quality of the investment.

● Building Strategic Partnerships: Networking with other healthcare providers, research institutions, and public health and biotech companies will increase information credibility and add value to the centre’s reputation (Raffield, 2020). The Center will use contribution. Therefore, it will have access to available resources, knowledge, and networks to improve treatment of patients and to strengthen the competitive position of the Centre in the health ecosystem.

To sum up this is, the Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre's utilisation of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) strategy toward its marketing communication. This will help it address the issue of reputation choices relating to the quality of treatment and the level of care it offers (Gu et al., 2020). The centre can add more customers by focusing on people, planet, and profit in its approach to communicating with the audience. Thereby it will be easier to improve patient satisfaction, show how socially responsible the centre is, and strengthen the centre’s reputation as the trusted company in MS therapy and support services.

4. 5 KPIs identified that are specific for the company

Figure 3: KPI- Key Performance Indicator

(Source : Trade press service, 2020)

Patient Satisfaction Score (PSS): With this KPI in place, the company can measure the level of patient satisfaction with respect to the effectiveness of the treatment they have been given and the care they received. Permanent polls as well upon feedback mechanisms will help to evaluate patient satisfaction and show us what and where the problems are to improve them (Komulainen et al., 2020). A positive PSS score shows patients satisfaction and is good market awareness for the clinic.

Referral Rate: The centre will collect information on the number of referrals made by current patients, other adjacent healthcare professionals furthermore, other contributors to determine the reputation and worth of the health centre. The growth or fall of referrals serves as an appraisal of the centre. For the searchers may be symbolic of confidence in the services the centre provides, or it may indicate that there are problems that need to be addressed.

Online Reputation Score: Through social media channels such as online reviews, ratings, and social media discussions the centre would be able to track consumer sentiment. Moreover, it will also enable the centre to identify any bad opinion or issue that needs to be addressed (Velter et al., 2022). A rise in online ratings, for example, as verified by more positive reviews and increased engagement, proves that reputation management measures were effective and supported a good brand image.

Employee Engagement Index: The staff, who are motivated and satisfied, are prone to give the patient the quality of care and the pleasant experience. Thus, it is important to have the staff involved and satisfied. Employee engagement can be measured using feedback and survey systems to help know the mood of their staff. This ultimately leads to better patient satisfaction and higher reputation (Tseng et al., 2020). A high level of employee engagement shows the relationship with the patients who experience positively and the organisation who sets a good culture.

Sustainability Metrics: Monitoring the environmental initiatives the Centers implements, such as reduced energy consumption, diminished waste, and community outreach, lets the Demonstrate the Centers involvement with environmental sustainability and community responsibility. A positive report card and perception on the greenhouse effect and enhanced public image of the centre as an organisation committed to the environment can be realised by positive sustainability metrics like reduced greenhouse gases and increased community involvement.

Through Practical and Measurable Guidelines Volunteers are Able to Prune the Approaches Adopted in Climate Change Management.

Set Clear Environmental Goals: Put forward detailed, attainable and time-restricting targets that enable the decrease of carbon emissions, increased energy efficiency, and the sustainable environment (Correia et al., 2019). The objectives complemented by the overall climate change objectives of the organisation illustrate how the centre tries to confront the environmental catastrophes.

Implement Sustainable Practices: Incorporate sustainable practices into day-by-day operations, like energy reduction, disposing of or obsessing with fewer amounts of waste, and favouring eco-friendly procurement practices. Along with bringing down the environmental pressure the centres can also score back as a socially sound and responsible organisation.

Engage Stakeholders: Sponsor collaboration with patients, staff, vendors, and local community for environmental-oriented teaching and promotion of environmental commitment. Having the stakeholders participate in educational programs, events in the community (Khan et al., 2021). Additionally, outreach initiatives leads to a robust relationship and a growth of support for the sustainability projects

Monitor and Evaluate Performance: On a cycle, measuring and assessing environmental performance is done by KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). For instance, carbon emissions, energy consumption, waste diversion rate, and community engagement metrics are indicators. By employing goals analysis, the centre can visualise changes in the performance and changes tactics accordingly (Masud et al., 2019).

Communicate Transparently: Inform the stakeholders in a transparent manner about the environmental projects the centre is involved in, including milestones and bottlenecks. Disseminate the information using various communication channels like, social media platforms, newsletters, community gatherings. Additionally, take viewers along in the quest for climate resilience (Burga et al., 2020). Within the centre environment, transparency creates an open and trustful platform where citizens can be assured of the centre's care for ecological preservation.

In short, by taking voluntary management actions that are based on benchmarks and monitoring, The Bedford and Northants MS Therapy Centre will be able to significantly reduce its impact on the environment, augment its good reputation as a socially accountable organisation in the society, and build bridges towards the larger climate change agenda (Međugorac et al., 2020). The centre can create a good reputation in environmental sustainability as long as it has specified goals, initiates and enforces sustainable practices, involves stakeholders, monitors performance. Moreover, it communicates its actions transparently, which can motivate other people and businesses to do the same.

5. Conclusion

Thus, the recommendations in this report let the organisation be able to overcome the reputation challenges. Through following the policy of clear communities, crisis responses, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability initiatives the company will enhance its positive image and be believed even more by patients and stakeholders. Upon the implementation of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), the goal centre will have a clear insight on the progress of the centre. Also, the centre will be in a better position to make rational decisions while keeping the trust of MS patients who depend on the centre for therapy and support services.

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