Building Public Trust

Today’s public demands the highest standards for corporate citizenship and factors corporate reputation into every buying decision. We help clients understand how they are perceived by key public audiences and work to build authentic relationships that are aligned with their business goals. We believe there is a correlation between corporate reputation and a company’s bottom line and provide industry leaders with the tools to monitor and protect their reputation like they would any other asset.

As public trust in corporate America has decreased, a company’s reputation has emerged as a critical, but often untapped, corporate asset.  According to our July Public Trust Monitor, 42% of voters trust corporations to do what is right and only 23% trust corporations to find solutions to the problems they face.

In this environment, companies must build authentic relationships with their public audiences in order to transform their corporate reputation into competitive advantage.

There is one public that buys a product or service, but it is made up of distinct constituencies with differing agendas and opinions of overall reputation.  Core audiences –– those groups that influence the success of every business goal –– include customers, employees, policymakers, investors and the media.  Situational audiences such as suppliers, activists, unions, non-governmental organizations or third parties often also have the potential to influence business goals.

We identify these public audiences, analyze their impact on our clients’ reputations, compare and contrast their standing across each audience. We then develop proactive campaigns utilizing opinion research, digital advocacy tools, government relations, media relations, executive positioning and investor relations to open dialogue and establish authentic relationships that translate into greater public trust.