Happy New ... Reputation Risk

Welcome to our first newsletter of the year. It’s a 3-minute read and begins with our three predictions for the world of corporate reputation in 2024.

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Gazing into our crystal ball, we see three trends companies should be aware of in 2024.

The first is artificial intelligence and its impact on business.

The good news is that companies will increasingly use AI to anticipate corporate crises and manage their reputations more effectively.?

The bad news is that businesses will face the growing risk of disinformation and misinformation thanks to AI. Deep fakes, in particular, will compromise companies and damage reputations.?

More than ever, too, businesses must consider AI’s broader impact on society next year. Companies that replace lots of employees with AI may suffer reputational harm.?

Our second prediction for 2024 is the persistence of the polycrisis.

Geopolitical turmoil will continue — and for many companies, the relentless stream of tumultuous macro-events will provide opportunities to strengthen their reputations.?

How? By responding to events in ways that demonstrate their values and purpose in a meaningful and relatable way.

But the trick will be knowing when to react — and when not to. Companies that leap aboard bandwagons will risk coming across as insincere or inauthentic.

Our final prediction for 2024 is the continuation of the “culture wars” — and the backlash against ESG and corporate activities designed to combat climate change.

?While some companies will struggle to maintain their reputation with all stakeholders, those who communicate with empathy and sincerity about their response to climate change can become more trusted and liked in 2024.?

Click here to read our predictions in full and discover why 2024 could be especially tricky for corporate reputation management.

Regular readers of our reports know we love graphics, so we rounded out the year with six thought-provoking charts about corporate reputation in 2023 —like this snapshot of X, formerly known as Twitter, which showed scant awareness of — and plummeting support for — Elon Musk’s controversial social media platform.

?? REPUTATION READS

Here’s our pick of the most insightful pieces about corporate reputation this month.