Exploring the reputation management process for events: The case of Targa Tasmania

This article investigates the manner in which the reputation management processes identified in the extant literature need to be adapted for the recurrent event context. This research was conducted using a quasilongitudinal single embedded case study method focused on the reputation management process evident in the introduction, growth, and maturity stages of the Targa Tasmania rally event (held annually in Tasmania since 1992). Primary and secondary data were collected via semistructured interviews with key stakeholder groups and from published materials in newspapers and periodicals, respectively. The results suggest that in the context of an event, consideration must be given to divergence in three significant factors underpinning the reputation management process; namely: the "organizations connection to the external environment," "corporate communications," and "time." This study contributes to both event management literature and managerial practice, through the provision of insight into the transferability of the reputation management process to an alternate nontraditional organizational structure.