Too often, individuals and companies don’t come to appreciate the value of a good reputation until they are in trouble and looking for someone to come forward and offer a kind word on their behalf. Trying to convince the public that a company is a valuable asset to its community is a hard case to make if the company’s entire history suggests it hasn’t cared what people thought. Building a good reputation before you’re in trouble is a better business strategy than trying to change a bad reputation after you’re in trouble. It is simply good business sense to create a reputation that invites respect, support, and loyalty-attributes that are invaluable in times of trouble. This seems simple and obvious, yet many companies continue to devote few or no resources to community relations, shareholder relations, governmental relations, and even the most basic levels of public relations, choosing to respond to serious questions and concern with a cold “no comment”. Sometimes, it becomes clear that such positioning can come back to bite.