Nearly four out of five senior executives across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar consider their company’s corporate reputation as “extremely important,” a number that rises to 95 percent when those who ranked it as “important” were also included, according to a new report from Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

In addition, 82 percent of those interviewed said that their company’s reputation was linked to their bottom line and overall business success.

The survey, The Reputation Index, draws on research undertaken in collaboration with the global opinion research firm YouGov examining the importance that senior executives place on their corporate reputation and the ways they assess their reputation, the factors they feel drive corporate reputation, who in a company has the most influence on reputation and the value of a strong reputation when facing a crisis.

Among the key findings:

  • In order to assess corporate reputation, senior decision makers stated customer feedback mechanisms and customer face-to-face meetings as most useful.
  • 84 percent of senior executives “agreed” with the statement that a strong reputation can help a company recover quickly in a crisis.
  • When asked which factor—other than financial performance—steered reputation, one factor stood out clearly in all three markets: quality of management.
  • Findings were generally consistent across the three Gulf markets - with just one small exception. In Qatar, workplace culture and media commentary were seen as significant in driving reputation (alongside quality of management and leadership) while in the UAE and Saudi Arabia these two factors were seen as having less influence.

 “Senior decision makers across The Gulf clearly recognise how important—and critical—a strong corporate reputation is in today’s highly competitive, highly transparent and fast moving business environment,” says Sconaid McGeachin, president and CEO, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Africa, Middle East and Turkey.

“Reputation impacts all elements of business, from recruitment to re-financing, and this is appreciated by senior executives.”

 

Nearly four out of five senior executives across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar consider their company’s corporate reputation as “extremely important,” a number that rises to 95 percent when those who ranked it as “important” were also included, according to a new report from Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

In addition, 82 percent of those interviewed said that their company’s reputation was linked to their bottom line and overall business success.

The survey, The Reputation Index, draws on research undertaken in collaboration with the global opinion research firm YouGov examining the importance that senior executives place on their corporate reputation and the ways they assess their reputation, the factors they feel drive corporate reputation, who in a company has the most influence on reputation and the value of a strong reputation when facing a crisis.

Among the key findings:

  • In order to assess corporate reputation, senior decision makers stated customer feedback mechanisms and customer face-to-face meetings as most useful.
  • 84 percent of senior executives “agreed” with the statement that a strong reputation can help a company recover quickly in a crisis.
  • When asked which factor—other than financial performance—steered reputation, one factor stood out clearly in all three markets: quality of management.
  • Findings were generally consistent across the three Gulf markets - with just one small exception. In Qatar, workplace culture and media commentary were seen as significant in driving reputation (alongside quality of management and leadership) while in the UAE and Saudi Arabia these two factors were seen as having less influence.

 “Senior decision makers across The Gulf clearly recognise how important—and critical—a strong corporate reputation is in today’s highly competitive, highly transparent and fast moving business environment,” says Sconaid McGeachin, president and CEO, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Africa, Middle East and Turkey.

“Reputation impacts all elements of business, from recruitment to re-financing, and this is appreciated by senior executives.”