Reputation

Some would think it an understatement to say that the latest Ipsos' Reputation Council sitting takes place against an uncertain global backdrop. We seem to be in a perfect storm of social, political, and economic upheaval – the war in Ukraine, supply chain bottlenecks feeding inflation, and the lingering impact of Covid-19 are but a few of the factors impacting the world.

The Purpose of purpose: having a clear vision about the kind of company you are is increasingly important in the ‘war for talent’, among generations who want to make a difference in their daily lives.

Corporate communicators must determine whether the risks outweigh the rewards of communicating on social media

ESG is driving intervention and nearly four-in-five Reputation Council members tell Ipsos that their business is more regulated now than it was five years ago.

With such high expectations of businesses, there is much more room for perceived missteps and loud criticisms from various stakeholders.

London preserves its spot as the world’s most admired city in the 2022 edition of the Anholt-Ipsos City Brands Index. Paris, Sydney, New York, and Rome round out the top-5, but there has been some movement in the bottom half of the top-10 cities:

2021 Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index: Canada and Japan overtake the U.K. to round out the top three; U.S. sees reputational gains from 2020.

Each year, the Ipsos' Global Corporate Reputation practice conducts interviews with over 150 leading communications and reputation executives globally to understand the trends, issues and concerns facing today’s reputation practitioners.

As ESG has surged up the consumer agenda, new Ipsos data shows that improving society is identified as the top priority for multinationals among consumers across the globe – perhaps not surprising given the social implications of the pandemic. While fundamental issues such as safe working conditions are seen as most important here, each company should carefully consider how to adapt its operations to improve sustainable business practice. Companies should continue to pursue actions on all three pillars of ESG though. Not just because E and G remain critical in the public’s eyes, but also as it – as we should all know now – makes good business sense to do so.