1. FROM IMAGE TO ONLINE
REPUTATION
Diana-Maria Cismaru,
Ph. D., Associate Professor, NUPSPA
Bucharest

2. IMAGE – DEFINITIONS AND FEATURES
Image is the social representation
= the collection of opinions, beliefs, attitudes which a
category of people formed after the direct or mediated
contact with a public person, product, event or
organization
Images are included one in another: image of geographical
area, country image.
Image is built on two ways: distance experience or direct
contact.

3. COMPONENTS AND TYPES OF IMAGE
The atom model of image includes:
center node (key concepts, very visible): functions of
generation, organization and stabilization
margin elements (weak concepts, less visible):functions
of adaptation, protection, reality-tying
Types of image
a) focused/diversified
b) clear/ambiguos
c) convergent/bipolar
d) positive/negative

4. THE PROCESS OF IMAGE BUILDING



Expressed image: the image resulted from own
messages (example: own blog);
Method of identification: content analysis
Released image: the image resulted from media
releases (example: press articles, other blog’s articles,
TV news);
Method of identification: content analysis
Reflected image: the image formed in various publics
as result of media reception and interpretation (for
each public, a various image);
Method of identification: survey

5. IMAGE ANALYSIS: dimensions
The usual frame of analysis for institutional actors
includes 5 dimensions (with 2-10 indicators each):
- Human: the personality characteristics;
- Political: the political orientation and actions and
beliefs;
- Public: the public actions, partnerships and orientation
- Institutional: the institutional projects and participation
- Managerial: the decision-making
actions, implementation skills, efficiency, team leader
qualities

6. Example: reflected image of an institutional
actor (2011)

7. IMAGE ANALYSIS: method
Dictionary of evaluation for each theme (sentence or
phrase: positive frame)
0: neutral information
+1: positive humor (“signs of improvement in Victory
Palace”
+2: releases of positive actions (positive events and
partnerships, fundraising support)
+3: the highest grade of attributes: “the most effective
manager of the year”, “the top expert of ….”, prizes
+4: very positive actions for groups (“national hero”)
Cited statement have a point in minus on all scale.

8. IMAGE ANALYSIS: method
Dictionary of evaluation for each theme (sentence or
phrase): negative frame
-1: easy negative humor (“Udrea is taking her 3000 euro
purse from the car”)
-2: actions with negative consequences (passive attitude
towards consumers, lazy institutional officers)
-3: actions with highest negative attributes (the laziest
minister, the local baron, the most involved in
scandals);
-4: actions with negative consequences on
group/national level: terrorism, organized crime

9. Changes determined by new media
development
•
•
•
•
•
Reputation becomes more important than image,
because of informational redundancy;
Online reputation generates reputation because of the
new media function of “information recording”;
Competition of sources: social online networks (&
social feedback) as determinants in reputation;
Accelerate change but relative stability in the online
environment + prominence of negative messages;
New media have a direct impacts to the real life:
- professional routes (selection, hiring and firing);
- business success and failure;
- starting point of communication/reputational crisis;

10. A model for assessing the online
reputation

11. The system of indicators for assessing OR
The online reputation profile: the first two pages
resultes after a Google search with the name
Visibility: the percent of visible entries in the first two
pages in Google (desirable – over 85%)
Control: the percentage of own communication
channels) (from 10% to 35%)
Balance: no of negative entries/positive entries
Intensity: sum of negative scores/sum of positive scores
Height: mean of importance of sources (online ranking
of sources: from 1 to 10): value from 1 to 5
Ranking: mean of position coefficient x favorability
coefficient, for negative entries

12. The system of indicators for assessing OR
The formula of the online reputation score contains the
Intermediate Online reputation score (ORSI):
 ORSI = [∑ (i1 x n) x 2 + ∑ (i2 x n )]/3
 i1, i2 – favorability coefficients for each of the ten
articles displayed on the first page, respectively on
the second page in Google after search;
 n – specific weight coefficient, depending on the
audience (the online rating).
 ORS = ORSI x V/100
Usual values: from -100 to +100

13. Romanian members in European Parliament: (oct
2012) group 1 (negative online reputation)

14. Romanian members in European Parliament:
group 2 (low profile online reputation)
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Height
Tic
au
En
c iu
Cli
ve
W ti
in
Ta kler
na
se
sc
u
W
Un ebe
r
gu
re
an
u
Bo
d
An
to u
ne
scu
ila
Da
nc
Cu
tas
ORS

15. Romanian members in European Parliament:
group 3 (controversial online reputation)

16. Romanian members in European Parliament:
group 4 (positive online reputation)

17. Diagnosis of OR crisis
Name
V%
C%
Daciana
Sarbu
100
20
Norica
Nicolai
95
Adrian
Severin
90
B
I
H
ORS
0,15
0,2
5,4
54,6
25
0
-
3,7
49,4
25
0,55
0,7
5,5
- 69,3

18. Results of OR programs: example
15.03.2013
15.05.2013
Visibility
55% (low)
100% (high)
Control
10% (low)
55% (very high)
Balance
25%
10% (low)
Intensity
1,30 (high)
0,16 (low)
Height
2,1
2,7 (medium)
Ranking
54 (medium)
8 (low)
ORS
-15,4
+50

19. Thank you!
dianacismaru@gmail.com
diana.cismaru@comunicare.ro