News & Insights

A reputation for effective reporting

Read almost any survey of chairmen and chief executives and you will see a fear of losing ‘corporate reputation’ as one of their greatest worries. There will also be wide agreement that this reputation is made up of the opinions of a broad range of stakeholders.

We have moved a long way from a blinkered focus on ‘shareholder value’, and it is a dramatic transformation from just 20 or so years ago. And yet, if you enter the vast majority of their boardrooms you would find that the conversation hasn’t kept up with the ambition. All too often discussion of corporate reputation is reduced to anecdotes from recent conversations or recollections of articles individuals have read or heard in the media. 

Where every other function in the business is data-driven, with consistent charts and analysis for the quarterly board pack and monthly executive meetings, the corporate affairs offering all too often appears like ‘show and tell’: “this month we’ve been really busy doing X “. I know, I have been guilty of this myself. 

Understandably, there has been a search for something more ‘rigorous’ and a call to use more data. Yet rigour can all too quickly turn into complexity, which then leads to lots of people ‘counting stuff’, but ultimately does not lead to greater insight. 

So the problem isn’t a lack of data. In fact, part of the problem is that there is too much data. And that isn’t changing,  the data flood waters will only continue to rise.

 

We believe that BOLDT’s RISKR platform provides a genuine answer, as a rigorous new reputation risk approach that makes rapid, straightforward and cost-effective analysis practical for the first time. 

RISKR, developed in collaboration with investment specialists Mettle Capital, draws upon data from media, social media, investor reports and other sources, and cross-indexes it against Environmental, Societal and Governance (ESG) factors and industry-standard Trust and Reputation vectors. 

This delivers context and objectivity, and prioritises findings. Above all, it enables corporate leadership and communicators to adopt a common framework and language around reputation risk. 

Which in turn means it is much easier to create standard, robust and actionable reporting that supports evidence-based strategy and decision making. It is also possible to identify emerging trends that demand attention, and conversely issues that can be deprioritised. And to conduct systematic competitor and industry analysis covering brand, corporate and purpose-led communication.

RISKR enables data to be analysed against the dimensions that matter most and then interrogated further in ways that are meaningful for each business. It gives a clear and actionable view of reputation that creates a consistent  framework and language for monitoring, evaluation and most importantly decision-making, right to the top of an organisation.

We believe that we can eliminate the irony that reputation is only tangible in a crisis, and drive better action to improve reputation through accurate, relevant data.

If you want to find out more, please get in touch [email protected] 

 

About BOLDT          

BOLDT is a senior-led consultancy focused on delivering business strategy, communications and stakeholder engagement. BOLDT has offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Cologne, Dusseldorf, London, Oslo and Zurich. ​BOLDT has a network of international partners which enables us to give clients support across Europe and around the world. Please visit BOLDTpartners.com to learn more.