Thought Leadership

"All too often organisations come to appreciate the value of reputation only when truly challenged." writes Echo Research CEO, Sandra Macleod in CEO Today Magazine.

Social media is having a great effect on the way people communicate, and organisations need to find a way to monitor and measure digital interaction to ensure increased understanding and communication effectiveness.

Learn some lessons in reputation management without attending the school of hard knocks.

Putting The Principles Into Action Based on the Barcelona Declaration of Measurement Principles - 7 June 2011

The CIPR are the advocates and the voice of the public relations profession, a champion of professional interests, a respected partner to the broader communications community and a body that works in the public interest.

In celebrating the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, the United Nations has challenged us to improve ‘pathways to decent work for women’. In the media, one would hope that such issues lay behind us. However, when we turn our gaze to journalism, we see stark challenges facing women across the UK.

La confiance et le développement durable constituent les deux grands enjeux de notre temps.

By Sandra Macleod, CEO Echo Research Group. Organisations can no longer simply claim the high ground, stakeholders must believe it too.

Echo survey work for AMEX continues to generate front page news in USA Today and other media. For top tips on how to ensure research-based publicity

Echo delivered the 2009 Lecture on Sustainability and Communications at the Helsinki School of Economics

At the risk of agreeing with two of the leading PR gurus of our day, Lord Chadlington and Lord Bell (PRWeek, 2 October and 9 October), the world is changing and PR is ideally placed to step in and step up. But the question remains, will it?

Will obesity be the global epidemic of the 21st century as alarming headlines claim?

Group CEO of Echo Research Sandra Macleod explains how successful change programmes need to be underpinned by an understanding of the values held by the team members taking part and a strong vision of what the result of change will be.

'Nice to do' is now 'have to do' when it comes to business reputation, responsibility and sustainability

At a time when Iran is grappling with its 'control' of messages coming through Twitter, marketers around the world are also battling for Twitter's control.

Herewith a timely and practical White Paper on measuring reputation on Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and other social media. Echo's Web 2.0 White Paper shows how research lets organisations work out where their communications and relationship focus should lie, above and beyond statistical indices like conversation ratings, prominence on search engines and viewing figures. With descriptors, case studies, check lists and illustrations of different forms of measurement, the White Paper aims to demystify Web content and outline best practice guidelines for communicators and risk managers.

Successful communications start with evidence rather than assumptions. They depend on information, collected before the communication, of what is likely to work well. They require proof, after the communication, of what actually worked, what did not and what needs improving next time. Research is the key to the door of excellence.

Echo: 20 this year, and CR enthusiasts from the start

Chartered Institute of Management Accounting: Echo article on why research is key to corporate survival and reputational integrity in times of economic turmoil. ‘There are few today who would dare feel their way through the midst of reputational risk by guesswork alone'

"When a newspaper photograph of ordinary lads wearing hooded tops, just standing around, is visual shorthand for 'broken Britain', it is clear that teenage boys have an image problem - and new independent research shows just how bad a press they are getting" stated the lead Dispatches item in The Guardian. "Teenage boys appear to be aware of this coverage. Out of 1,000 boys aged 13-19 across five UK regions, surveyed by Echo, 85% said newspapers give them a bad press

Echo Research ran a series of focus groups among leading global practitioners across five markets on the topic of globalization and its impact on public relations going forward. In all, 24 global Chief Communications Officers gathered in New York, London and Zürich to share their experiences and expectations to help shape and inform the development of the Gold Paper on this topic by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA). Their generous time and insight inspired and provided the lively quotes as a vital anchor for everyday practice

The CA-commissioned study found that organizations are considering, and have budgeted for, software solutions to improve the efficiency of their IT infrastructure and to solve the environmental challenges posed by the rapidly increasing use of computing resources in large corporations. The Echo Research, Inc. survey of more than 250 IT decision makers at large companies in the U.S. and U.K. found that IT departments recognize the impact this consumption has on the environment and have begun looking for green solutions. A large percentage of the respondents indicated that implementing energy-efficient hardware and/or software solutions, and system automation tools are included in IT plans to help companies carry out green initiatives.

Communication directors are often frustrated by their failure to realise a strategic role within their organisation, frequently defined as a seat on the board or the executive team. This report summarises the findings of research among communication professionals conducted by Echo Research

As CSR becomes embedded in business, firms must be able to demonstrate its role in their success, by Sandra Macleod, Echo Research

A series of talks for all customer/client focused Directors and Managers in service industries. Includes presentations by Sandra Macleod (CEO) and Nigel Middlemiss (Knowledge Director) of Echo Research.

As commerce globalises, the personal relationship between business and consumer is lost. But for any firm, intimacy - real or false - sells. How does a distant corporation become a friend? And should it? Emma De Vita reports.

Japan brings its own definition of good corporate citizenship wherever it does business around the globe.

Mental health is a major and growing public health issue. With one in six people experiencing mental health problems, the UK government made it one of the four key areas in its public health policy. Starting from the basis that the media plays a crucial role in influencing people’s perception about what is a complex and highly emotive area, the Health Education Authority (HEA) commissioned Echo, as registered Expert Witness, to support its work by assessing current levels of information and understanding. Echo examined the way in which mental health problems were portrayed in everything from news to TV dramas, the terms used and the tone of reporting or dramatising of events.

Accountability is increasingly important. But how do you measure and benchmark public relations performance? Market research techniques are included in the communications toolbox more frequently but does market research have something to learn from public relations