Businesses that fail to meet consumer demands for transparency and responsibility will find it hard to survive in a downturned market.
This is the claim of Echo Research, a leading global reputation research organisation, which estimates that most businesses should improve how they direct precious resources to operate effectively and successfully.
Echo CEO and founder Sandra Macleod, said: "We see so many businesses that are on the back foot because they are snowed under with activities. They don't take the time to step back and assess the impact of what they are doing. In some cases, they are alienating staff and customers by simply losing sight of the basics."
Echo claims that many organisations are time poor and complex rich. According to Macleod, these organisations are uncomfortable discussing 'authentic reputation', ethics and transparency, important subjects following the recommendations of the recently-released Woolf Committee Report.
The report, released in the UK in May, stated that: "corporate reputation has become an essential part of an enterprise's value and the effective management of ethical and reputational risks has become a critical element of corporate governance. Reputational damage … will inevitably undermine overall performance over the medium to longer term, not least through potentially severe distraction of senior management, the risk of litigation and impact on internal morale."
To support clients addressing such issues, Echo has created an advisory committee of a select and senior group of communications experts, reputation research practitioners and academics.
Macleod said: "To become transparent, an organisation needs to first understand its reputation objectively across its many stakeholders, and then consider the gap between the expectations and reality. Echo's SAGEs will benefit clients seeking best practice and counsel in measuring reputation and communications effectiveness, to protect and enhance their success going forward.
"This international network of experts has been specially selected for their experience, knowledge and passion in furthering management understanding and insights into intangibles. Understanding what drives behaviour and commitment is fundamental to success in today's environment."

The Board is made up of seven founding members from both sides of the Atlantic:

Peter Hutton: Former deputy managing director of MORI's corporate and consumer research division.
Susan Walker, former Research Director of MORI's communication and employee research practice.
Roger Hayes, Co-founder of Echo Research and a doctoral research associate at Henley Business School.
Michael Morley, Non Executive Chairman of Echo Research Inc and former Deputy Chairman of Edelman Worldwide.
Elliot Schreiber, Ph.D., Fellow of the Arthur W. Page Centre for Integrity in Public Communications at Penn State University.
Don Stacks, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the University of Miami School of Communication Program in Public Relations.
Donald K. Wright, Ph.D., Professor of Public Relations at Boston University, board member of the Institute for Public Relations, the Arthur W. Page Society, and immediate past chair of the Commission for Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation.

Background
The Woolf Committee was established at the request of the Board of BAE Systems plc to publicly report upon the Company's ethical policies and processes. The independent external Committee was chaired by Lord Woolf of Barnes, the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. An executive summary can be found here.

• Echo Research provides independent reputation analysis for clients that include world leaders among the Fortune 100 and FTSE 100, associations, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisations and the public sector.
• Echo helps clients to:

1. plan their business by assessing the impact of completed work (retrospective analysis, including media evaluation, primary research for marketing and PR practitioners), as well as
2. ensuring they are able to plan effectively by having the right stakeholder, market and sector knowledge (proactive analysis, including issues and trend analysis). Its services are tailor-made.

• Echo has 165 employees and analysts in offices in Europe and North America, as well as further research centers centers in Asia and South America.
• Echo has won more than 50 awards for excellence in communications and reputation research since its inception in 1990.

Photos of Advisory Group members available upon request
Contact: Helen McClure at Passion for Public Relations
Tel: 07971 719357
Email: helen@p4pr.co.uk