The 2014 PRCA National Conference, taking place today, will serve as a launch pad for some of the PRCA’s recent research on reputation.

The study, conducted with YouGov, reminds us why reputation is still one of a business’ greatest assets. The poll shows that PR professionals believe reputation and financial performance to be inextricably linked. In addition, those polled saw the attraction and retention of staff as the main outcome of a good reputation.

The report also saw 83% of communications professionals admit that their team’s success rate is still measured on how much positive media coverage can be generated. While other benefits of an enhanced reputation, such as staff attraction and retention, and a defence against potential crisis, remain secondary. Senior managers still value media approval, despite the availability of social media and other digital tools that change the way content is distributed. The report also showed that 92% of PR professionals believe CEOs understand the impact of reputation to the bottom line. In addition 87% of respondents said that CEOs were supportive of their activities.

Tony Langham, vice-chairman of the PRCA’s PR Council says, “The findings suggest that we’re on the brink of a sea change in the role of communications professionals. There is wide appreciation that a strong reputation achieves more than just positive media coverage and enhanced marketing – it also delivers better quality staff, the benefit of the doubt from stakeholders and greater clout with Government. The person at C-suite level, who really gets it, is the person who matters most, the CEO. The only worrying sign in the survey is the under-investment across the British industry in crisis planning and in social media. As a consequence though, both areas offer competitive advantage to those organisations that do invest”.

The research is part of the PRCA’s ongoing campaign to aide understanding and stimulate debate around the contribution reputation makes to organisations. It follows on from the launch of the ‘Economics of Reputation’ toolkit in July of this year.