Chandan Sharma, General Manager- Digital Media, Adani Group In today?ÇÖs era, C-Suite Executives ?Çô including CEO, CTO, COO, CFO, CMO and others ?Çô are often key faces of a company. Their actions, statements and personal image, especially within the digital and online realm, have the potential to make or break the organization?ÇÖs reputation and growth prospects. As we navigate the depths of the hyper-connected digital era, digital reputation management ?Çô alternatively known as online reputation management (ORM) ?Çô has been playing a pivotal role in terms of keeping a tab on and enhancing the image/perception and conversations about companies and professionals on the web, through use of various new-age tools and strategies. Digital Reputation Management Becomes Imperative for the C-Suite ?Ç£It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.?Ç¥ - Benjamin FranklinLast year, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy had sparked an intense online debate with his 70-hour workweek advocacy remark and now S.N Subhrahmanyan, CEO, L&T joined the wagon by his Sunday working comment. Post which the internet got flooded with content criticizing their views, and respective organization?ÇÖs image subsequently took a hit. In another similar incident, the online spat (on X) between OLA CEO Bhavish Aggarwal and comedian Kunal Kamra led to fall of OLA Electric?ÇÖs shares by over 9%.Research has also corroborated how negative reputation online can cause affect an organization adversely. Reputation management expert Andy Beal says: ?Ç£Trying to improve your online reputation during a crisis is like trying to eat healthy food during a heart attack.?Ç¥ Evidently, when the image of a C-suite executive suffers negatively, it usually raises questions/concerns on the entire management and functioning of a company; and more often than not, affects the reputation of the company negatively ?Çô more so if the conversation and public perception is not dealt strategically.  LinkedIn or Google search is just a tip of the ice-berg. When it comes to digital reputation management for C-suite executives, there are multiple touchpoints ranging from Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, AI search tools like Perplexity to online niche communities like Quora, Reddit, and much more, all of which one must keep a check on. And this is why ?ÇÿSocial Listening?ÇÖ plays such a crucial role in ORM, as it helps today?ÇÖs CXOs and organizations to not only keep track of public sentiments and views, but also to gather valuable insights about their brand, industry, competitors, et al.According to ORM industry pioneer Michael Fertik, in the future all CXO executives and leaders should have a reputation score. He goes on to say: ?Ç£Reputation is becoming more valuable than money or power.?Ç¥ And while managing reputation in offline or physical-spaces is still a tricky terrain, the online ?Çÿwebverse?ÇÖ, on the other hand, gives us a lucrative opportunity to be in control of our own narrative and shape online reputation of key organizational executives just the way we want to. Therefore, investing strategically in managing digital reputation of the C-suite has become a necessity (and is no longer a matter of choice) for companies across all sizes and industries. The Hidden Costs of Not Doing ORM, and The Way ForwardIt is high time we shift our perspective from seeing ORM as an expense to an investment. In today?ÇÖs era of AI, digital transformation and endless Internet ado, ?Çÿdigital footprint?ÇÖ of a C-suite executive increases exponentially every time he/she goes online, and even when he/she doesn?ÇÖt. One seemingly small, insignificant comment, a Tweet or a podcast interview can spark a controversy online and invoke negative public sentiment resulting in a company losing millions, or even worse implications. Which is why, one needs to prioritize the implementation of ORM on a continuous and pro-active basis, rather than taking a reactive approach, i.e. when crisis hits, which (almost) never works.When implemented in a strategic manner, ORM not just enhances image of C-suite executives, but can also help them synergize their online talks with the organization?ÇÖs ethos and values, give critical market insights conducive to growth, and most importantly, help manage or better still, entirely avoid crisis situations and PR fiascos for both business leaders and organizations.