Corporate Image and Reputation (CIR)

What is it: A customized, strategic diagnostic tool that assesses, measures and monitors the impact of internal and external measures on an organization’s image, reputation, brand performance and bottom line.

How does it work: Corporate Image and Reputation (CIR) identifies those elements which are critical in creating perceptions, identifying areas of the pie that play a larger role in creating or reinforcing the image or reputation that is consistent with the client’s objectives. Clients will find out what activities, messages or behaviours are most effective in maximizing positive perceptions and building trust and credibility. Ongoing tracking provides continuous feedback.

Who can benefit: Companies who want to be recognized as leaders in all aspects of running a successful enterprise. These are organizations who have or wish to take an integrated approach to corporate management and who want to take strategic control of all aspects of their internal and external image.

How can the tool help: CIR enables organizations to develop more effective strategies to manage its image and reputation holistically. It links “hard” measures such as strategic brand and financial performance with “softer” measures such as corporate citizenship and human resource leadership. CIR gives a very good indication of how these measures affect one another and where the areas of greater opportunity are for a particular organization.

What are some elements/measures:

• Corporate Citizenship (community involvement, environmental concern, sponsorships and charitable work)
• Human Resource Leadership (employment equity, diversity, ongoing human resource development and employee treatment)
• Advertising and PR (brand equity, visual identity, spokespersons, key messages)
• Product & Service Quality (product-related elements, customer focus, value)
• Management Quality (ethics, business practices)
• Financial Performance (investment value, profitability)
• Market Leadership (innovation, global presence, diversity).

What should I do next: Contact us for a brief meeting to find out exactly how the tool can work for you. At the meeting we will outline who uses the tool, how frequently, and what outputs to expect.

Who should be involved in the meeting: Initially senior decision-makers in Marketing, HR and Public Affairs, depending on corporate structure. Internal market research group representative, if any.