Google's China syndrome
Google, which is known for its corporate mission "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful" and more widely for its unofficial motto "don't be evil" has always had a tough ride in China.
In 2006, Google agreed to work with the Chinese government to censor its content for users in return for obtaining an operating permit - removing some of its search results that the government branded 'too sensitive' (think anything connected to the Tiananmen Massacre as a starter for ten).
It came up against staunch criticism for operating its Chinese arm according to guidance from the Communist Party of China. In an attempt to put a positive spin on the situation, Google had this to say for itself: "While removing search results is inconsistent with Google's mission, providing no information (or a heavily degraded user experience that amounts to no information) is more inconsistent with our mission".
Last month however, the Chinese government took it one step too far when they launched a sophisticated attack on the Google corporate infrastructure, targeting 20 businesses and hacking into the Google Mail accounts of human rights activists.
With that in mind, Google is now "review(ing) the feasibility of our business operations in China" and has suggested that it is no longer willing to censor search results. Spokespeople have suggested that they may shut down Google.cn and potentially all their offices in China.
If Google goes ahead and exits the market, it will lose access to an incredibly important economic powerhouse, depriving it from access to 338 million internet users and an estimated $600 million annual revenue.
It's a risky move for Google, but making it, and re-aligning itself with its moral standpoint "don't be evil" might just ensure that it is capable of maintaining its Number One spot in the corporate league tables. And as PR professionals, we know why reputation management should be top priority for brands in today's global economy.
> Ali Morpeth