Ipsos launches Reputation Council to monitor key issues in a volatile economic climate

Ipsos's Reputation Centre has assembled some of Europe's most senior corporate communicators to form the Reputation Council. The Council, whose members are drawn from a cross section of the largest organisations in Europe, will be interviewed on a quarterly basis. They will be asked to comment on a wide range of reputation issues both within the corporate environment and the wider world.

The launch comes as Ipsos's flagship Captains of Industry survey finds that 97% of executives interviewed feel that a company's reputation for honesty and integrity is important when judging an organisation.  Despite the tougher economic climate, captains still agree by a margin of nearly two to one that companies will continue to invest in corporate responsibility.

Milorad Ajder, head of Ipsos's Reputation Centre, said:

The Council represents some of the best brains in the field of communications and reputation management and I think people will be interested in their views on a range of corporate, economic and social issues.
Research we have carried out with Captains of Industry, and indeed, consumers around the world, place trust at the heart of the debate around corporate behaviour. The Reputation Council members are at the very centre of that discussion. This gives them a unique perspective that they can bring to bear on the important challenges business and society face today.
Council members will be asked about a variety of subjects including the economic downturn, the future of the EU, the internal barriers they face in driving reputation up the corporate agenda and the challenges of linking reputation to the bottom line. Their thoughts should be listened to by business leaders, policy makers and the wider communication community as they bring an unparalleled level of communication expertise to bear on a range of important issues.

The over arching mission of the Council is to highlight the importance of reputation management as an agent for positive change - both commercially and socially; the premise being that people and organisations are more likely to perform better, when the issue of reputation, lies at the heart of the day to day decisions they make.

Notes

1.The reputation council will brings together more than 50 senior communicators from leading companies including:

• Tesco
• Electrolux
• GSK
• Unilever
• Syngenta
• BAE Systems
• Unilever
• BP
• Rolls Royce
• In Bev
• Michelin

2. The Reputation Council will report once a quarter on the pressing issues facing corporate reputation. Full details will be published at www.ipsos-mori.com