THE STATE OF CORPORATE
REPUTATION IN 2020: NAVIGATING
THE OMNIDRIVER ERA
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 2
As global business markets head into a new and undoubtedly pivotal decade,
business leaders must be prepared for the unpredictable and unknown.
Reputational opportunities and threats lie in wait everywhere, internally and
externally. The spotlight is more unforgiving as consumers shun companies
when they lose trust in them or disagree with them about social issues.
Reputation Institute has deemed this period of time “reputation judgement day,”
an era in which companies are “scrutinised on all aspects of their company –
ethics, leadership, values and beyond.” The year 2020 marks not just the start
of a new decade, but a year in which business leaders all over the globe will
need to hone their 20/20 visual acuity and raise their antennae to scan the
reputational landscape on a 360-degree basis.
Take for instance the recent trend of companies stepping outside their
traditional parameters and lending their voices to political and social issues,
even when these issues did not strongly relate to their core business.
Companies are now expected to not only deliver on nancial performance,
but also to make a positive contribution to society. CEO tenure has also been
shifting as we approach the next decade – August 2019 saw the highest
monthly CEO turnover on record. This turnover has been attributed in the
media to aging CEOs, economic uncertainty and declining tolerance by boards
of directors. Imminently, Millennials will be the next generation of leadership,
and their views on company values, societal issues and investment decisions
will surely change how corporate reputations are shaped and communicated.
It is in the context of these unprecedented changing times that Weber
Shandwick took stock of the reputation of business. Our study, The State
of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era, was
conducted in partnership with KRC Research and surveyed executives from 22
markets around the world. The study examines what drives reputation, why it is
important to be highly regarded and the benefits that come with having a
strong reputation.
A primary finding from the research is that reputation today is omnidriven. That
is, a company’s portfolio of reputation drivers is no longer dependent on solely
a few select factors. Everything matters today, from quality of employees, to
quality of products, to financial performance, to corporate culture, to
community. The list goes on. In an environment where business leaders are
being caught off guard by dangers that seemingly lie in plain sight, companies
must ensure they are hyperalert to all factors when working to build and
safeguard their reputations.
INTRODUCTION
This report is presented in three parts:
I. A SNAPSHOT OF CORPORATE REPUTATION TODAY looks at the reported
strength of company and CEO reputations around the world.
II. WHAT DRIVES REPUTATION & WHY REPUTATION MATTERS focuses on
what influences company reputation, the benefits yielded by having a strong reputation
and the impact of reputation on market value.
1. Reputation Is Omnidriven – It’s Impacted from All Sides
2. Reputation Is Influenced by the Communication of Values
3. Reputation Is on the Board’s Agenda
4. Reputation Provides Companies Tangible Benefits
5. Reputation Has a Sizable Impact on Market Value
III. THE 76 PERCENTERS: INSIGHTS FOR BUILDING REPUTATION FOR
GREATER MARKET VALUE explores a segment of executives who report their
company’s reputation contributes most substantially to market value and provides
guidance based on how these organisations focus on reputation compared to the
average global executive.
1. Every Driver of Reputation Is Magnified
2. Measurement of Reputation Is Key
3. Marketing and Communications Are Critical Drivers of Reputation
4. Reputation Is Strategically Communicated to Critical Stakeholders
5. Senior Leadership Is Highly Visible
Additional topics are covered by the reputation survey, including culture, CEO and
employee activism, and crisis. These ndings will be released in upcoming reports.
“
It has been widely accepted that reputation makes a meaningful
contribution to business success. Our study quanties the
remarkably high value assigned to reputation today and shows
how it takes a erce level of attention to an unprecedented suite of
reputation drivers – nearly two dozen deemed signicant – to remain
highly regarded and prevent reputation erosion.
“
GAIL HEIMANN
PRESIDENT AND CEO
WEBER SHANDWICK
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 3
WHAT WE DID
Weber Shandwick, in partnership with KRC Research, conducted an online survey among 2,227 executives
worldwide. We surveyed approximately 100 executives in each of the following markets:
Respondents are in mid- to high-level positions at companies with at least $500 million in revenue in developed
markets and $250 million in less developed markets. Executives represent a variety of industries.
NORTH
AMERICA
Canada
US
EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST
AND AFRICA (EMEA)
Belgium
France
Germany
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
UAE
UK
LATIN AMERICA
(LATAM)
Brazil
Colombia
Mexico
ASIA PACIFIC
(APAC)
Australia
China
Hong Kong SAR
India
Indonesia
Japan
Singapore
South Korea
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 4
From a reputational standpoint, business is starting the new decade strong. Reputations
of both companies and their top leaders are decidedly solid. The vast majority of global
executives (87%) say that their company reputation is strong, with 45% reporting a very
strong reputation. Only 3% report that the company’s reputation is somewhat or very weak.
The reputation of business leaders scores similarly well. Eight in 10 global executives
(82%) believe their chief executives have a strong reputation. More than one-third
(38%) say the reputation of their company’s top leader is very strong.
I. A SNAPSHOT OF CORPORATE
REPUTATION TODAY
STRENGTH OF COMPANY AND CEO REPUTATIONS
(% global executives)
Reputation is also strong across the world. At least three-quarters of executives in all
markets in the survey report that their company’s reputation is very or somewhat strong.
Those with the strongest reported reputations are in Spain, China and India, where a
staggering 98% of executives in each of those markets say the reputation of their company
is very or somewhat strong.
■ Not sure ■ Very weak ■ Somewhat weak ■ Neither strong nor weak ■ Somewhat strong ■ Very strong
Company Reputation Company’s Top Leader Reputation
1%
2%
1%
3%
10%
13%
42%
44%
45%
38%
87%
82%
STRONG
REPUTATION
STRONG
REPUTATION
1%
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 5
US
87%
STRONG OVERALL COMPANY
REPUTATION
(% very/somewhat strong)
Reputation is strong across industries. Executives in telecommunications, IT, technology are most likely to say their company
reputation is very or somewhat strong (92%), followed by those in consumer goods (91%), and energy, natural resources
(90%). Executives in government, the public sector, social services and retail are least likely to say their company reputation
is strong, but still score high at 83%.
Belgium
France
Germany
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
UAE
UK
Australia
China
Hong Kong SAR
India
Indonesia
Japan
Singapore
South Korea
Brazil
Colombia
Mexico
Telecomm, IT, Tech
Consumer Goods
Energy, Natural Resources
Financial Services, Insurance
Media
Healthcare, Pharma, Biotech
Industrial, Manufacturing
Hospitality, Travel, Tourism
Professional Services
Retail
Government, Public Sector, Social Services
STRONG OVERALL COMPANY REPUTATION
(% very/somewhat strong)
NORTH
AMERICA
EUROPE | MIDDLE EAST | AFRICA
ASIA PACIFIC LATIN AMERICA
Canada
76%
84%
97%
76%
96%
98%
83%
91%
90%
82%
86%
98%
83%
98%
94%
76%
83%
75%
93%
89%
91%
92%
91%
90%
88%
87%
87%
86%
85%
85%
83%
83%
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 6
REPUTATION IS OMNIDRIVEN — IT’S IMPACTED FROM ALL SIDES
II. WHAT DRIVES REPUTATION &
WHY REPUTATION MATTERS
1
A key nding of the research is that the success of corporate reputation is no longer dependent on a few select drivers.
On the contrary, a company’s reputation is similarly inuenced by a multitude of factors. When asked to rate how much
23 different elements contribute to reputation on a 1–10 scale where 10 means “contributes a great deal,” global executives
assign high scores (8–10) to each.
Quality of products or services and quality of employees top the list – 63% of global executives rate these drivers 8–10 – but
the items that follow trail by very few percentage points. All 23 drivers are rated highly by at least half of the global
executives in the study. This lack of distinction suggests that companies can no longer solely focus on and prioritise just a
few key drivers of reputation. Everything matters to reputation today. Reputation’s day of judgement has certainly arrived in
full force.
FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO COMPANY REPUTATION
(% global executives rate 8–10 on 10-point scale)
Quality of products or services
Quality of employees
Quality of customer service
Safety of products or services
Respect for customer or employee privacy
Product or service innovation
Industry leadership
Financial performance
Value for the cost or price of products or services
Ethics and values
Technological advancement
Corporate culture
Corporate purpose
Quality of CEO or chair
Training and support for employees
Marketing and communications
Quality of senior leadership other than CEO or chair
Diversity and inclusion of the workplace
Community relations
Governance
Environmental responsibility
Global presence
Philanthropy or charity support
63%
63%
61%
60%
60%
59%
59%
59%
58%
58%
57%
57%
57%
56%
56%
55%
55%
54%
54%
53%
51%
50%
48%
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 7
Similarly, there is little distinction between the impact of marketing and communications
factors on company reputation. As is the case with general reputation drivers, companies
need to focus on all marketing and communications elements. Nearly six in 10 global
executives (58%) rate a company’s response to crises and issues and the company’s ability
to communicate and deliver upon its mission, vision and values 8–10 on a 10-point scale,
but other items follow closely. Leadership participation at events and social media presence
fall to the bottom of the list, but are still important. Half of global executives (51%) say the
participation of leaders at forums, conferences or industry events and the company leaders’
presence on the company website and social media contribute a lot to reputation.
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO
COMPANY REPUTATION
(% global executives rate 8-10 on 10-point scale)
How a company responds to and addresses
any crises, issues or problems it faces
A company’s ability to communicate and
deliver upon its mission, vision and values
A company’s communications to the public
A company’s communications to its employees
Awards a company wins or “best of” lists it
ranks on
A company’s social media communications
and interactions
Participation of company leaders at business
forums, conferences or industry events
A company’s leaders’ presence on the company
website and social media
58%
58%
57%
56%
54%
53%
51%
51%
The discipline of corporate reputation is on solid ground as we
head into the next decade. Our research shows that reputation is
a competitive asset in a world marked by uncertainty, intractable
business challenges, lightning-fast digital transformation and
brutal talent wars. Strategically cultivating and maintaining a strong
reputation, both internally and externally, has to be a top priority for
all business leaders today.
LESLIE GAINES-ROSS
CHIEF REPUTATION
STRATEGIST-IN-RESIDENCE
WEBER SHANDWICK
“
“
As important as the insight is that reputation is increasingly omnidriven, so is the potential
reason for this sea-change shift: most reputational crises are self-inicted. Among the
global executives who report that their rms experienced a crisis in the past two to three
years that impacted their reputations, a staggering 76% claim that the crisis was preventable.
Perhaps this high level of risk prompts executives to be hyperalert to the multitude of
reputation drivers.
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 8
When it comes to specic stakeholders, all perceptions matter, though some
to a greater degree than others. Nearly nine in 10 global executives (87%)
say customer perceptions are important to their company’s reputation, closely
followed by those of investors (86% of global executives at publicly held
companies) and employees (83%). Less inuential on company reputation
are people on social media (68%) and nonprofits, advocacy groups or
non-governmental organis
ations (66%). These findings echo the recent
“stakeholder primacy” position of the Business Roundtable’s redenition of
corporate purpose. Again, just about everyone matters to reputation today.
IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDER PERCEPTIONS TO
COMPANY REPUTATION
(% very/somewhat important)
CUSTOMERS INVESTORS
(among publicly held
companies)
EMPLOYEES
87% 86% 83%
GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS AND
REGULATORS
PEOPLE IN THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY
SUPPLIERS AND
PARTNERS
THE MEDIA PEOPLE ON
SOCIAL MEDIA
NONPROFITS,
ADVOCACY GROUPS OR
NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANISATIONS
80% 75% 74%
73% 68% 66%
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 9
REPUTATION IS INFLUENCED BY THE COMMUNICATION
OF VALUES
Communicating corporate values is critical today. As evidenced in the section above, a
company’s ability to communicate and deliver upon its mission, vision and values is a top
driver of reputation. Additionally, eight in 10 global executives (79%) say it is important for
the CEO to communicate the organisation’s values in order to be highly regarded.
The importance of the CEO communicating the organisation’s values differs somewhat by
industry. It is considered most important among executives in government, the public sector,
social services (85%), professional services (85%) and retail (85%).
2
IMPORTANT FOR CEO TO COMMUNICATE THE ORGANISATION’S
VALUES FOR A COMPANY TO BE HIGHLY REGARDED
(% very/somewhat important)
Telecomm, IT, Tech
Consumer Goods
Energy, Natural Resources
Financial Services, Insurance
Media
Healthcare, Pharma, Biotech
Industrial, Manufacturing
Hospitality, Travel, Tourism
Professional Services
Retail
Government, Public Sector, Social Services
85%
85%
85%
82%
82%
79%
75%
75%
75%
72%
72%
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 10
REPUTATION IS ON THE BOARD’S AGENDA
Corporate reputation is on the radar of company leadership at the very top. Nine in 10
executives (91%) say their company’s reputation is important to their board of directors, with
about half (52%) reporting it to be very important to the board.
Executives are in agreement regardless of their size in terms of revenue. Those companies
where reputation is especially important to the board are public companies and those with
a multinational focus. Underscoring the value of reputation, boards of companies that have
recently experienced a reputation crisis within the past two to three years are even more
focused on reputation. Undoubtedly they know from rst-hand experience the signicance of
reputation loss.
3
IMPORTANCE OF COMPANY REPUTATION TO THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(% very/somewhat important)
Reputation is important to the governing board in all industries. More than nine in 10
executives in six industries say reputation is important to their board: consumer goods at
95%, telecommunications, IT, technology (93%), energy, natural resources (93%) retail
(93%), and media and industrial, manufacturing both at 92%.
Yes
No
Public
$5 billion+
Less than
$1 billion
$1 billion-
$4.9 billion
REVENUE OWNERSHIP REACH
EXPERIENCED
RECENT CRISIS
Multinational
Domestic
91%
88%
87%
Government
85%
Private
90%
Signicantly higher than comparative subgroup(s)
95%
89%
95%
89%
93%
“
A company’s reputation matters to more stakeholders than ever
before. This research demonstrates that executives rmly believe that
reputation matters to board members. Board members are clearly
perceived as proactive partners in reputation management today. After
all, boards of directors have oversight responsibility for mitigating
reputation risk and driving business value.
“
MICHO SPRING
CHAIR
GLOBAL CORPORATE PRACTICE
WEBER SHANDWICK
Nonprot
92%
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 11
REPUTATION PROVIDES COMPANIES TANGIBLE BENEFITS
Executives see numerous benets to companies with strong reputations. When asked to
select the top three benets to a company with a strong reputation, customer or client loyalty,
competitive advantage and better relationships with suppliers and partners top the list. Impact
on the talent pool rounds out the top ve, with attracting high-quality talent (#4) and retaining
employees (#5).
4
ADVANTAGES TO COMPANIES WITH STRONG
REPUTATIONS
(rank among global executives)
#1 CUSTOMER OR CLIENT LOYALTY
#2 COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
#3 BETTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH SUPPLIERS AND PARTNERS
#4 ATTRACTION OF HIGH-QUALITY TALENT
#5 EMPLOYEE RETENTION
#6 NEW MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
#7 HIGHER STOCK PRICE
#8
CRISIS RESILIENCE AND RISK MINIMISATION
#9 GREATER SUPPORT FROM POLICYMAKERS AND REGULATORS
#10
(tie)
ABILITY TO CHARGE PREMIUM PRICES
MORE FAVOURABLE MEDIA COVERAGE
#12 LESS SHAREHOLDER ACTIVISM
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 12
REPUTATION HAS A SIZABLE IMPACT ON MARKET VALUE
Corporate reputation is an invaluable asset with appreciable impact on a company’s bottom
line. On average, global executives attribute 63% of their company’s market value to their
company’s overall reputation.
Contribution to market value varies by market. Executives in all but the UK and Hong Kong
SAR estimate that their company reputations contribute to more than half of their market
value. Those who think reputation makes the greatest contribution are executives in Brazil
(76%) and Mexico (75%).
5
% MARKET VALUE ATTRIBUTED TO COMPANY REPUTATION
(by market)
Belgium
France
Germany
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
UAE
UK
Australia
China
Hong Kong SAR
India
Indonesia
Japan
Singapore
South Korea
Brazil
Colombia
Mexico
NORTH
AMERICA
EUROPE | MIDDLE EAST | AFRICA ASIA PACIFIC LATIN AMERICA
US
62%
61% 61%
62%
67%
60%
63%
62%
73%
47%
58%
65%
47%
69%
73%
58%
53%
63%
76%
71%
75%
Canada
55%
GLOBAL EXECUTIVES
(ON AVERAGE)
63%
There is a segment of global
executives that experiences
a very positive nancial
result from strong reputation.
One-third of global
executives (33%) report that
more than three-quarters of
their market value – 76% or
more – is attributed to their
company’s reputation. This
group of “The 76 Percenters”
represents the companies
that are leveraging
reputations for maximum
nancial returns and are the
focus of the next section of
this report.
% MARKET VALUE ATTRIBUTED TO COMPANY
REPUTATION
■ Not Sure
■ 0%–25%
■ 26%–49%
■■ 50%–75%
■ 76%+
14%
12%
33%
10%
31%
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 13
As mentioned above, the 76 Percenters is a segment that reports more than three-quarters
of its company’s market value is attributed to its reputation. The 76 Percenters are similar
to the average global executive demographically (revenue, indus
try and company
customers, whether they be consumers or other businesses), but they differ on one
important characteristic: They leverage their strong reputations to maximise their company
market values.
The 76 Percenters are the pinnacle of strong reputation. The more an executive attributes
market value to reputation, the more likely they are to work for a company with a strong
company reputation. More than nine in 10 76 Percenters (94%) see their company as
having a very or somewhat strong reputation, compared to 88% of global executives. Nearly
the same percentage (93%) say their company leader has a strong reputation (compared to
82% of global executives).
COMPANY AND LEADER REPUTATION BY ESTIMATED CONTRIBUTION
TO MARKET VALUE
Given their reputation excellence and the fact the 76 Percenters report their company’s
reputation yields the largest dividend, we analysed this segment to see how it differs from
the average global executive. The link between reputation and market value is more than
just perception.
The 76 Percenters’ actions toward reputation management are distinctly
different than those of the average global executive. It is clear from their behaviours that their
focus on their reputation pays off. The differences between the two groups provide the
following insights for strengthening a corporate reputation to maximise its influence on
market value.
III. THE 76 PERCENTERS:
INSIGHTS FOR BUILDING REPUTATION FOR
GREATER MARKET VALUE
69%
83%
85%
86%
82%
87%
93%
94%
Strong top leader reputation
Strong company reputation
76%–100%
The 76 Percenters
0%–25% 26%–49% 50%–75%
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 14
EVERY DRIVER OF REPUTATION IS MAGNIFIED
The 76 Percenters score higher than the average global executive on every one of the
23 reputation drivers, and they lead by at least 10 percentage points on nearly half the
drivers. This segment is hyper-focused on building their reputations and does not overlook
any drivers.
The drivers where the 76 Percenters differ most from the average global executive largely
center on a company’s values. The top differentiator setting the 76 Percenters apart is
community relations. Also among those factors with the largest gap that are values-related
are ethics and values, corporate culture, workplace diversity and inclusion, environmental
responsibility, and philanthropy or charity support.
1
REPUTATION DRIVERS THAT MOST DIFFERENTIATE THE 76 PERCENTERS
(% executives rate 8–10 on 10-point scale)
■ Global Executives ■ 76 Percenters
Difference
Community relations
65%
54%
Industry leadership
69%
59%
Ethics and values
68%
58%
Corporate culture
67%
57%
Training and support for employees
66%
56%
Quality of senior leadership other than
CEO or chair
65%
55%
Diversity and inclusion of the workplace
64%
54%
Governance
63%
53%
Environmental responsibility
61%
51%
Philanthropy or charity support
58%
48%
+11
+10
+10
+10
+10
+10
+10
+10
+10
+10
Only those factors with a difference of at least 10 percentage points are shown
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 15
MEASUREMENT OF REPUTATION IS KEY
The 76 Percenters are more likely than the average executive to report that their senior
leadership measures or monitors the company’s reputation (83% vs. 71%). The 76
Percenters recognise the value of their reputation and ensure they maintain it by vigilantly
assessing it.
To measure reputation, the 76 Percenters say that their company leadership primar
ily uses
employee satisfaction or engagement, as well as sales or nancial performance. Less
important to reputation measurement are number of job applications and number of quality
speaking engagement invitations to company leaders.
2
LEADERSHIP
MEASURES/
MONITORS
COMPANY’S
REPUTATION
(% executives)
HOW CEO AND OTHER LEADERS MEASURE
COMPANY REPUTATION
(% 76 Percenters whose leadership measures or monitors reputation)
Online customer ratings and reviews
Awards and rankings
Sales or nancial performance
Social media or other Internet metrics
Number of website visitors
Stakeholder surveys
Personal judgment of CEO/
leadership team
New customer or client acquisitions
Online employee ratings and reviews
Media coverage
Employee satisfaction or engagement
Number of quality speaking invitations
to leaders
Number of job applications
Government or state support
Global
Executives
83%
71%
47%
44%
39%
38%
38%
37%
35%
33%
33%
32%
29%
27%
25%
23%
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 16
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS ARE CRITICAL DRIVERS OF REPUTATION
The 76 Percenters are more likely than the average executive to rate marketing and communications as an important driver
of their reputations (63% vs. 55%).
Especially important to the 76 Percenters, compared to the average global executive, are communications to the public and
to employees, awards and “best of” rankings, social media communications, and leadership presence on the website and
social media.
3
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE
TO COMPANY REPUTATION
(% global executives rate 8–10 on 10-point scale)
How a company responds to and addresses
any crises, issues or problems it faces
Participation of company leaders at business
forums, conferences or industry events
A company’s ability to communicate and
deliver upon its mission, vision and values
A company’s leaders’ presence on the
company website and social media
A company’s social media communications
and interactions
Awards a company wins or “best of” lists
it ranks on
A company’s communications to
its employees
A company’s communications to the public
REPUTATION IS STRATEGICALLY COMMUNICATED TO CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS
The 76 Percenters are more likely than the average global executive to say that senior management has mentioned
the company’s reputation to employees in the past year (83% vs. 69%). Those 76 Percenters who work at publicly held
companies are more likely than the average executive at a publicly held company to say the topic of reputation has come
up during the company’s earnings calls (74% vs. 57%). The 76 Percenters make key stakeholders, such as employees and
investors, aware of the company’s reputation.
4
COMMUNICATION OF REPUTATION
Senior management has mentioned company’s
reputation to employees in past 12 months
Company’s reputation comes up during earnings
calls (among publicly held companies)
GLOBAL
69%
76 PERCENTERS
83%
GLOBAL
57%
76 PERCENTERS
74%
67%
57%
+10
66%
56%
+10
64%
54%
+10
63%
53%
+10
61%
51%
+10
67%
58%
+9
60%
51%
+9
65%
58%
+7
■ Global Executives ■ 76 Percenters
Difference
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 17
SENIOR LEADERSHIP IS HIGHLY VISIBLE
The 76 Percenters attribute a greater percentage of their company’s reputation to the
reputation of their top leader in comparison to the average global executives by a very wide
margin (80% on average vs. 58%). With CEOs contributing more to company reputation at
the 76 Percenter companies, it is no wonder that this segment sees a greater importance
in leadership visibility. They are particularly more likely than average to say the CEO should
have a social media presence (67% vs. 59%), be active in the local community (74% vs.
68%), and win awards or rank on “best of” lists (70% vs. 64%).
5
IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP VISIBILITY ACTIVITIES FOR A COMPANY TO
BE HIGHLY REGARDED
(% very/somewhat important)
The CEO is active in local community activities
The CEO has a visible public prole (e.g., in the
news media and at industry events)
Senior leadership, other than the top leader, has a visible public prole
(e.g., in news media and at industry events)
The CEO shares new insights and trends with the public
The CEO wins awards and ranks on “best of” lists
The CEO has a presence on social media
The CEO communicates the organisation’s values
79%
80%
71%
74%
71%
74%
68%
74%
67%
68%
64%
70%
59%
67%
■ Global Executives ■ 76 Percenters
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 18
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era shows that
corporate reputations across the world are perceived as strong as we enter this new
decade. Global executives are confident in the strengths of their organisations and those
individuals who lead them. To keep reputations strong, companies must recognise that
reputations today are highly impacted by a variety of factors and there are dangers in
overlooking any of the drivers of reputation and/or stakeholder groups. In 2020 and beyond,
we conclude that corporate reputation will be omnidriven.
Reputation affords companies numerous benets, but a key nding of the research is that
reputation contributes substantially to a company’s market value. There is also a segment of
global executives – dubbed the 76 Percenters – who see a particularly strong link between
reputation and nancial value.
The perspectives of the 76 Percenters serve as guidelines for companies to more effectively
strengthen reputation to maximise their influence on market value. Reputation must be
measured and communicated to stakeholders, and leadership visibility goes a long way in
helping companies to be highly regarded. Working to build and maintain reputation based on
these insights should be at the top of corporate agendas today.
IN CONCLUSION
The State of Corporate Reputation in 2020: Navigating The Omnidriver Era 19
Gail Heimann
President and CEO
Weber Shandwick
Andy Polansky
Executive Chairman
Weber Shandwick
Jack Leslie
Chairman
Weber Shandwick
Chris Perry
Chief Innovation Ofcer
Weber Shandwick
Sara Gavin
Chief Client Ofcer
Weber Shandwick
Micho Spring
Chair, Global Corporate Practice
Weber Shandwick
Joy Farber Kolo
President, North America
Weber Shandwick
Tim Sutton
Chairman, EMEA & Asia Pacific
Weber Shandwick
Jonas Palmqvist
COO, EMEA
Weber Shandwick
Baxter Jolly
CEO, Asia Pacific
Weber Shandwick
Laura Schoen
Chair, Latin America
Weber Shandwick
Zé Schiavoni
CEO, S2 Publicom
Weber Shandwick
Amanda Berenstein
Managing Director, Mexico City
Weber Shandwick
Greg Power
President & CEO, Canada
Weber Shandwick
Jill Tannenbaum
Chief Communications & Marketing
Ofcer
Weber Shandwick
Leslie Gaines-Ross
Chief Reputation Strategist-In-
Residence
Weber Shandwick
Elizabeth Rizzo
SVP, Reputation Research
Weber Shandwick
Mark Richards
SVP/Management Supervisor
KRC Research
/WeberShandwick
@WeberShandwick
/WeberShandwick
/Company/Weber-Shandwick
/WeberShandwickGlobal
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“THE STATE OF CORPORATE REPUTA
TION IN
2020: NAVIGATING THE OMNIDRIVER ERA,”
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