Once just the icing on a good campaign, PR is now the lynchpin of any reputation management strategy. Little wonder, in a time when even minor gaffes can ruin the careers of politicians, celebrities, athletes and high-flying CEOs - and a single well-placed endorsement can launch an unknown startup into the stratosphere. In Rethinking Reputation, public relations gurus Fraser Seitel and John Doorley examine the pivotal PR moments of recent years - including the BP oil spill and the 2012 Republican primaries - to glean the dos and don'ts for the new media world. They show everyone from mom-and-pop shops to Fortune 500 companies how to wield the power of word-of-mouth, relationships, and publicity to maximize coverage and minimize harm. In between, they illustrate the character-based communication strategies that have bulletproofed countless businesses - and how you can use them too.