REPUTATION:
THE CORNERSTONE OF A FAMILY OFFICE
1. SUMMARY: ONLINE REPUTATION
MANAGEMENT AND THE IMPACT
ON FAMILY OFFICES
65%
of internet users see online search as
the most trusted source of information
about individuals and companies
A family’s good name needs protection just like any other
asset. Yet in today’s instant information digital world, it’s
more vulnerable than ever and poses a problem many
family offices aren’t equipped to deal with. It’s not only
their business that can be faced with reputational damage,
but their all-important family name too.
Reputation has always been a cornerstone for a family
office. In the past this was largely reliant on word-of-
mouth and one’s network. However, in today’s digital age
these factors have been replaced by mainstream media,
blogs, social media, regulatory announcements, and many
other uncontrollable content vehicles that are available
online. A reputation attack now has an instant global
audience and can decimate a previously respected family
office’s name and reputation overnight. While we have
all been taught not to believe everything that we read,
it would be foolhardy to underestimate the role of the
internet on public perception.
Many family offices have devoted time and resources to
developing their brands online, investing millions into
advertisements, sponsorships and promoting their profile
globally. However, all too often family offices neglect to
apply the same resources to safeguarding their online
reputation and privacy, which leaves them vulnerable and
ill prepared to deal with a crisis.

2. REPUTATIONAL RISKS:
THREATS AND VULNERABILITIES
The digital world provides a host of new pitfalls
when maintaining the online reputation of a family
office; it also presents opportunities for organisations,
individuals, journalists and even criminals to access
information about the family’s principle interests and
activities. This information can be used for a vast
variety of unwanted, unlawful or damaging purposes
– this can include anything from exposing your
engagement and relationships with controversial or
sensitive individuals, organisations or businesses,
to extortion, fraud and in some extreme cases even
kidnapping.
Social Media and Viral Negative
Content
When a business is intertwined with a family name,
responsibility for a reputation is more closely tied to
individuals.
Social media is ubiquitous and woven into everyday
life. Used responsibly, it can be a relatively secure
medium to communicate with friends and family.
Family offices must be particularly conscious about
limiting their personal online presence, promoting
selective sharing and careful social media use.
Everyone makes mistakes, but for some, their mistakes
are almost guaranteed to have a greater impact. Social
media usage should be treated with extreme caution;
over-exposure and irresponsible use can lead to severe
reputation damage of the individual/s in question and
possibly the entire family office.
Online Media and Search Results
Negative or defamatory results on the first page of
Google – for example, unflattering press coverage or
libellous accusations – can cause serious problems
for a company’s image. As well as damaging the
relationship with customers and clients, potential
partners and investors doing cursory research may
think twice before associating with a company whose
integrity is being called into question.
Exposed Personal Information
Revealing too much can potentially leave you
exposed to a number of threats. Most executives and
families are aware of the obvious physical security
issues which can emerge as a consequence of
exposed personal information. However, many are
less likely to make the connection between exposed
personal information and business continuity and
security. Phishing and spear-phishing attacks are
emails which appear to be from businesses that you
know, attempting to gain access to confidential data.
The more personal information that is available
to the hacker, the more tailored (and ultimately
effective) the phishing attempt can be.
Typically, executives and family principals are the
weakest link in cyber-security because they have
access to the widest set of information and are most
visible to the outside world for targeted attacks.
Connections and Network
As recent headlines have made clear, your online
profile is only as secure as the people you’re
connected to via social media. There isn’t much an
individual can do to stop their online connections
inadvertently giving away personal details;
and, despite negative media attention, sensitive
information contained within online datasets
that users haven’t opted into are still likely to be
available. At ReputationDefender, we can offer advice
on how to significantly reduce the level of risk to
your family’s exploitable, personal information.
Family
Family members are, without question, one of the best
routes for malicious individuals to access personal
information. It only takes one weak link in the chain
– perhaps a younger member of the family who is less
tech savvy and aware – to circumvent another family
member’s continued efforts when it comes to online
privacy. Compounding the issue, it is now easier than
ever before for the family members of high-profile
business people to be identified and subsequently
targeted. These family members often have less
protection in place and may not realise the value of the
data and information they share online, knowingly or
otherwise. Such valuable information can be used to
create a detailed profile of the targeted individual, such
as where and when they go on holiday, their leisure
activities and behaviours, and who they socialise and
relax with. At ReputationDefender, we use penetration
testing to offer strategic advice and stop the flow
of harmful leaks that may originate from unaware
members of the family.
3. IMPACT: FOR A FAMILY
OFFICE
The level of impact of a damaged reputation
on a family office can be debated, scrutinised
and questioned. However, it can’t be denied; it
poses a real risk and shouldn’t be dismissed.

“Wall Street will forgive you

for an uninsured earthquake
loss or a terrorism event,
but it will not forgive you
for operational failures
that affect your reputation,”
said John Kerns, leader of
Beecher Carlson’s national
financial services practice.

There are multiple consequences of a

reputational crisis for a family office, some of
which are unique to the industry.

Businesses including family offices Loss of Brand Value and Revenue

risk losing 22% of business when
potential customers find one
negative article on the first page of
their search results.
An online reputation event can take multiple forms,
whether it’s a poorly worded statement going viral, an
unfortunate association made public, or an unfair and
inaccurate article featuring prominently in the search
results. Whatever the issue is, the damage can have far-
reaching and long-lasting consequences for a business
and its associates. A negative reputation event is not
limited to short term profits and stock value; it can
instigate the start of a downward spiral. Businesses
including family offices risk losing 22% of business when
potential customers find one negative article on the first
page of their search results.

22%
Trust
Running and being part of a family office often carries a
personal attachment and is a unique and difficult task.
It requires gumption and the trust of customers and the
people who work for you and with you. Unless these key
demographics like you and can trust you, it is unlikely
that they will continue to do business with you. A breach
in trust can cripple your growth, putting off potential
partners and investors and impeding future projects
 69%
Damage to the Family Name
Arguably, the greatest impact of a reputation attack
will be felt by family principles. A family name
is a unique asset for family businesses. Not only
does it indicate ownership, but it also conveys a
reputation. Unfortunately, this means that if that
of job seekers wouldn’t take a role with a
reputation is damaged, the effects will not be company that had a bad reputation, even if
focused solely on the business but on the family as they were unemployed.
a whole.

Talent Acquisition and Retention

84%
Like almost any other business, a successful family
office is reliant upon its employees. Having a
negative reputation will starve your family of the
kind of talent it needs and cripple your recruitment
endeavours. Research shows that 69% of job seekers
wouldn’t take a role with a company that had a bad would consider leaving their current role
reputation, even if they were unemployed. Similarly, if they were offered another role with a
84% would consider leaving their current role if
they were offered another role with a company that
company that had an excellent corporate
had an excellent corporate reputation. reputation.

Overexposure
Typically, executives and family principals
are the weakest link in cyber-security
because they have access to the widest
set of information and are most visible to
the outside world, making them ideal for
targeted attacks.

Being a director of a family office requires

the individual to surrender ostensibly
innocuous personal information online,
such as addresses, DOB and next of kin.
In the wrong hands this information can
be open to exploitation and used to gain
further insights. Such data in the past has
been used to hack family office members
which has led to severe data breaches and
sensitive content exposure, decimating
the reputation of all involved. It also poses
a real risk to personal safety; private and
personal data can be stolen with much
more sinister intentions, including home
invasions and kidnapping.
4. ANALYSE AND MITIGATE: THE
EXPERT’S SOLUTION
Many family offices feel they have the internal resources
and knowledge to cover such projects as Reputation
Management and Personal Privacy Solutions, but often
that’s not the case. This misplaced sense of confidence and
security leaves the office and family principles vulnerable
to irreparable damage both on and offline.
ReputationDefender offers a comprehensive approach
backed up by years of experience. We know how would-be
reputation attackers, bloggers, trolls, journalists, criminals
and opportunists operate, how they access data, and
what they can do with it to harm you and damage your
reputation. We use tried and tested intelligence processes
with market-leading technologies to deliver in-depth,
bespoke intelligence reputation and privacy reports.
Our tailored analysis offers a comprehensive
understanding of the privacy and reputation risks you and
your family office are facing due to activity and behaviours
online. With the initial analysis completed, we can then
advise on the most effective strategies to mitigate the
risks and minimise any potential reputational damage and
privacy vulnerabilities.
Family Name and Individual Member Profile Analysis
and Mitigation Guidance: ReputationDefender will
analyse the online footprint for all family members as
well as the family/family office name. In doing so, we will
highlight current and potential future online security
and reputational risks. We will demonstrate how current
concerns could potentially translate to future risk and will
provide a written report designed to outline ways you can
reduce these risks and services that have been created to
protect against such issues.
Profile Review and Monitoring: Once analysis has been
carried out and necessary changes have been made,
ReputationDefender will provide an updated review to re-
evaluate the previously perceived risks as well any new, or
re-emerging threats, concerns or risks.
Periodic Profile Review and Alerts: Over the following
weeks and months, ReputationDefender we periodically
review and re-analyse the online profiles of family
members, the family name and/or office to ensure all
bases are still covered. Alerts to any emerging threats or
concerns will be provided as well as insight into how best
to manage and mitigate any risk moving forward.
5. SOLUTION: HISTORICAL EVENT
OR POINT OF CRISIS
If your family office is suffering from historical or more
recent reputation damage, it can be overwhelming or even
seem irremediable. The situation will not mitigate itself
and not acting upon it lends credibility to the event. The
relevance, authority and legitimacy of the event needs
to be challenged strategically and digitally through the
search engines to remedy the situation.
Our Defender Elite Technology is a proprietary technology
comprised of many parts. The technology focuses on what
Google sees as ‘important’ when ranking a web asset at the
top or bottom of the search results.
Generally, the two areas Google
prioritises are:
The credibility/authority a web asset has given
its history/origin (i.e. if the origin site gets
updated, or receives lots of traffic), as well as
how the content on the page relates to the search
being made.
How users engage with the search results and the
path Google sees each unique individual follow.
Often, web assets that rank in the top 5 positions
on Google do so because users click those pages
first and spend a generous amount of time (5, 10,
15+ minutes) reading/digesting the information.
Patterns are then developed based on volume and
read by Google to indicate whether a web asset
should be promoted or demoted in the search
rankings.
This technology focuses specifically on user
engagement and the path unique searchers
follow when searching for your family group. We
work hard to show Google that a greater volume
of interest and activity is occurring on sites that
we want to promote, while sites we are seeking
to suppress show an overall lower percentage of
interest. Our technology contributes to sustaining
these patterns; changing a pattern overnight
isn’t a viable solution because there needs to be
consistency regarding the new pattern.
01
Identify
Identification of welcome and
unwelcome content appearing in the
search results under consideration,
incorporating any client feedback or
suggestions. Secondary identification
of priorities for promotion and
demotion, based on client feedback.
02
Analyse
Identification of the specific balance
of factors that are contributing to the
ranking of both welcome and unwelcome
content. Research conducted on each
of the individual sites appearing in the
top pages of the search results, as well
as on the ordering of the sites. Initial
estimation of the factors influencing the
search results under consideration and
the specific interventions required to
alter the balance of factors.
03
Build Technology
Creation of a custom technological
framework for the unique search profile
discovered in the analysis stage.
04
Deploy
Promotion of welcome items and demotion of unwelcome items
using our proprietary and patented technology and methods. In
most engagements, we begin at a moderate pace and then increase
pressure as the search registers change. A measured approach
allows for the best balance between cost and impact. For crisis
engagements, we begin more aggressively, although there is a
natural limit to how fast we can apply pressure without creating
unnatural looking trends.
05
Bolster Positive Content (Optional)
• As necessary, creation of new content to provide supplemental
ranking strength to pre-existing welcome materials.
Sometimes the positive sites in the search profile are not
authoritative enough, or of sufficient diversity, to produce
satisfactory results with technological promotion alone.
• In these cases, we create new sites, according to client
specifications, that meet the necessary criteria for authority
and diversity.
06
Reassess & Refine
• Continual assessment of the effectiveness of the
engagement, based on the most current data.
• Refinement of the technological framework (as required) to
increase its efficacy.
• Real-time incorporation of any new positive or negative sites
into the remediation strategy.
• Testing of the level of support necessary to create the
greatest likelihood of permanent positive change.
 CONCLUSION: The World Economic Forum has
PROTECT WHAT MAT TERS concluded that over 25% of a
All business including family offices must be proactive company’s market value is, on average,
when it comes to protecting their reputation. directly attributable to its reputation.
For a family office, however, the risks are even greater.

Managing the reputation of a wealthy family is far from

straightforward. There are many pitfalls, but there are
also a number of proactive steps that can be taken to
mitigate risk. A well-organised private family office,
operating with clear policies and procedures, is far

25%
more likely to be strategically prepared when facing
reputation issues.

Effective online reputation management and privacy

control are not only a safeguard against professional
damage; they will help protect your legacy and those
that matter most to you.

The importance of a positive online reputation cannot be underestimated. Contact one of our
experienced family office account managers today and discover how ReputationDefender® can help you
take control of your online reputation.

Tel: +44 (0)800 131 0700 Email Address: hello@reputationdefender.com

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