Perspectives: Reputation Matters More Than Ever. But You Have To Earn It

(MENAFN- PRovoke) “ In the beginning, top management used to say to us, 'Here's the message, deliver it.' Then it became, 'What should we say?' Now, in smart organizations, it's 'What should we do?'” – Harold Burson

The only time I met Harold Burson, a point he'd made for decades turned out to be the topic of our conversation. And it felt like the mantra I'd been repeating for all my years as a client – our actions as organizations are what give us the permission slip to communicate. What we say – if it is to be believed and acted upon by stakeholders – must be built on a bedrock of behavior that matches our values.

What he was saying was this: Reputation is earned.

Is there a better way to sum up our craft?

Our industry has long grappled with a persistent, almost existential question: How do we quantify the business value of a reputation? We know that a strong reputation is a powerful asset, enabling influence, driving decisions and, ultimately, determining success or failure for individuals, organizations, even nations. Yet translating these unseen truths into tangible, decision-ready metrics has often felt like wrestling a ghost.

When Harold walked our halls, he based his guidance and counsel on research, yes, but mostly his decades of expertise, sound judgment and lived experience. In those days we relied on pattern recognition and brilliant execution. And some luck, if we're honest.

We've certainly made progress since then, evolving from measures such as advertising equivalency to sentiment analysis, from media impressions to share of voice. But clients want proof that reputation isn't just a qualitative good, but a quantifiable driver of revenue, market share, talent and shareholder value.

They want to connect the dots between what we do and their bottom lines. And they understand that trust is but one measure of reputation.

This desire has reached a critical inflection point. The forces at play are unprecedented - the relentless transparency of the digital age, the rise of stakeholder capitalism, the push and pull of purpose and politics in a geopolitical landscape that shifts daily, if not hourly. Every corporate action, every leadership statement, every product launch is scrutinized through a lens of public perception, amplified or diminished in real-time. In this environment, reputation isn't just a nice to have; it's a strategic imperative, a competitive differentiator and a direct determinant of long-term enterprise value.

The good news is that the tools and methodologies to meet this demand are finally catching up to our ambition. We now have sophisticated AI-powered analytics that empirically link communications efforts to business outcomes. Taken together, these metrics validate Harold's initial instincts: Reputation is, in fact, earned.

So, armed with these new cutting-edge tools, what advice do we give our clients today when they ask us,“What should we do?”

1) Anchor Reputation to Business Outcomes

By quantifying the financial value of reputation, brands can understand which aspects of their reputation are driving growth and integrate this intelligence into operational and strategic decisions.

2) Focus on the Component of Reputation that Matters Most – To Your Organization

The reputation of every brand and business is unique. Zero in on those drivers with the greatest financial and stakeholder impact for your company. Winning doesn't look the same everywhere.

3) Add AI Intelligence to Your Human Judgment

Understanding analytics in real-time is essential. With the sheer volume of data available, the most effective companies leverage AI-powered insight to test, refine and execute the right strategies and next steps. Human expertise paired with AI facilitates predicting and prioritizing actions where impact will be greatest.

4) Use Reputation to Power Your Relationships With Customers, Policymakers and Investors.

Reputation is a valuable asset that should be leveraged. For today's biggest companies, a single point of reputation can equate to billions in shareholder value. Reputation also enables a company to better convey its priorities to policymakers, drive interest from customers and increase measurable business results.

We've come a long way from the days of simply delivering messages. Today's communications professionals, trained in new technology and fiercely focused on reputation, are entering a bold new era of client advisory where our insight and creativity knows no bounds.

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