Author Archives: Bryan Dumont

The Reputation Equity Stimulus Plan

The U.S. Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) – which declined dramatically in June (to 54.3) – has decreased again in July (to 50.4) amid continued worries over unemployment and renewed fears of a global economic slowdown and a double-dip recession. While still well above its all-time record low of 25 in February 2009, the index is nowhere [...]
Posted on July 29, 2010 By Bryan Dumont
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Using Reputation Capital to Build Community Activist Support

Recently, Wal-Mart announced its new strategy for future growth: opening smaller locations in mainly urban areas. Wal-Mart is not the only retailer scaling its stores down, Best Buy, Target* and Bloomingdale’s have all begun to experiment opening up smaller versions of their stores in major cities. And while this idea may sound appealing to many, it is not without its challenges. Besides the difficulty of finding sufficient retail space, one of the biggest obstacles is the potential for backlash that could erupt among local community activists.
Posted on July 13, 2010 By Bryan Dumont
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Measuring the Value of Reputation

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, APCO released the results of our inaugural Return on Reputation ("ROR") Indicator study that focuses on the retail sector. The survey was conducted among nearly 10,000 respondents representing consumers, community activists, policy-makers, retail employers, and investors and analysts, and I’m excited to say that our analysis is complete. We found that addressing the key issues and expectations of stakeholders to improve reputation has a statistically significant impact in shaping the behavior of these stakeholder audiences – and that shapes the operating environment and leads to real business outcomes.
Posted on July 9, 2010 By Bryan Dumont
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Supplier Scorecards: Earning a Return on Reputation

My colleague James Robinson recently discussed how P&G and other companies have begun to require suppliers to complete a "sustainability scorecard." James believes this trend could lead to heightened public awareness and "drive changes in demand and purchasing decisions." APCO will soon be releasing results from a ground-breaking study among nearly 10,000 respondents that looks at the [...]
Posted on May 20, 2010 By Bryan Dumont
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A Tale of Two Corporate Crises – Why Reputation Matters

I was just looking at how much Goldman Sachs' stock value fell after the recent SEC investigation was announced. Since April 16, the stock has fallen by 21 percent. The real challenge goes beyond this short-term loss of shareholder equity to how it will affect longer-term shareholder value and other outcomes. We've already seen how [...]
Posted on May 11, 2010 By Bryan Dumont
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Notes from the Other Side of the One-Way Mirror: The Evolving Definition of Transparency

I'm just getting out of focus groups with opinion leaders. I've probably moderated close to 500 focus groups over the past 15 years - mostly around expectations for corporate conduct and responsibility - and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind as to what the most striking change has been in the public's view [...]
Posted on May 7, 2010 By Bryan Dumont
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