Reputation Management: PolarBearUp Style

Chapter 11 of Katie Paine’s book “Measure What Matters” discusses how a crisis can damage a company’s reputation and steps to prevent one from happening. That being said, I would like to discuss what I have observed about the way ONU handles crisis situations. Paine says companies need to have a system in place to analyze what is being said, how the company is being positioned and what messages are being delivered. Paine also says if you are doing—or perceived to be doing—something wrong, bad or hurtful, chances are people will report it somewhere in social media. 

Based on the way I have seen ONU handle issues in the past, I don’t think the university is doing a very good job following Paine’s advice, and ONU rarely pays attention to what people are saying on social media. Let me set the scene for you.

Last year when we experienced one of the coldest harshest winters on record, social media EXPLODED with reasons and pleas for the university to cancel class. The student body got so infuriated about having to walk across campus in the freezing weather conditions a hashtag issued by the university was used by the student population to bash the school and protest via social media. The way students rallied together on social media in an effort to have their voices heard was an impressive form of a social community that escalated VERY quickly, and I feel privileged to say I participated in it.

ONU did eventually cancel classes. I cannot say for certain if the cancellation had to do with the posts on social media.  Regardless of why the university decided to close, the damage had already been done. Students had already taken the hashtag “polarbearup” and posted on social media with comments blatantly bashing the school. Certain high profile decision makers at the university were even called out, by name, followed by #polarbearup.  If a potential student (or anyone really) had decided to search #polarbearup or ONU on Twitter they would have gotten a VERY bad impression of the student experience here. 

What is even more impressive is the infamous polarbearup hashtag lives on today. Students still use it when referring to how badly ONU handles student safety in regards to bad weather. The bottom line is ONU’s reputation took a hit because of the way it handled this issue and failed to listen to what was said on social media. 

Let me also say this isn’t the only instance where ONU has neglected to address an issue and then received backlash on social media for it. I could write a whole new post about the time a murderer escaped from prison in Lima and ONU NEVER encouraged students to take extra caution. The takeaway from all of this is ONU has developed a bad reputation among the student body because of the way it handles certain issues prompting students to take these issues to social media without mercy. I think ONU has a thing or two to learn from Chapter 11 of Paine’s book about how a crisis can threaten your reputation.