USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations explored corporate reputation and the factors that impact it, including consumer and employee expectations.
Four online surveys were conducted during February 2023. The surveys were conducted with the following groups:
— 684 PR professionals.
— 509 U.S. residents who work for companies with 1000+ employees.
— 496 U.S.-based financial professionals.
— 1,060 U.S.-based consumers.
Key findings include:
1.) PR professionals said “customer brand loyalty” was the most beneficial aspect of having a positive company reputation.
— Following brand loyalty, PR professionals ranked “employee morale/retention” and “employee recruitment” as the next best benefits of having a positive corporate reputation.
2.) 48% of PR professionals said Gen Z will have the most impact on a company’s reputation over the next five years.
3.) 51% of PR professionals felt very familiar with the concept of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance).
— 18% of consumers felt very familiar with ESG.
— 92% of investors said a company’s ESG rating is very/somewhat beneficial when making a decsion about buying a company’s stock.
4.) 44% of PR professionals felt ESG is very important in building an organization’s reputation for employees and investors.
— 45% of PR professionals felt ESG is very important in building a reputation for consumers.
