Latest Press Releases

Earlier this month, Reputation Matters presented the annual APRA / PRCA Ethics and Public Relations (PR) landscape in Africa survey results at APRA’s conference in Côte d’Ivoire.

Here is an opinion piece that I have penned down, including insights from Arik Karani, newly elected President of APRA, and Dustin Chick, chair of the PRCA Africa’s Ethics and Practices Network.

The African Public Relations Association (APRA) and The Public Relations Communications Association (PRCA) are calling on all Public Relations (PR) and communication professionals to share their opinions on the ethics and PR landscape across the African continent.

We at Reputation Matters, are absolutely thrilled to be managing the survey on behalf of APRA and the PRCA again this year.
The study will explore an array of pivotal subjects, encompassing business ethics, perceptions of PR, integration of artificial intelligence (AI), the paradigm of remote working, and the challenges poised to shape the industry's trajectory in the future.
Please will you share your perceptions of the ethics and PR landscape in your specific country.

Here’s the link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EthicsandPRinAfrica2024

forward the survey to your contacts in the industry. It would really help to get as many insights from as wide an audience across Africa as possible.
Many thanks!

There is a tremendous amount of information and opinions available on reputation management. It can all get rather overwhelming. Here are four tips to help you to start building your reputation.

The most impactful legal expert at a large or publicly traded firm is referred to as the chief legal officer, or CLO. He or she acts at all times with a view to minimising legal risk within their organisation, by keeping its board of directors and other senior executives fully versed on any pressing legal and/or regulatory issues.

Artificial Intelligence is not going to go away. How do you navigate through it and manage your reputation? Listen to Benito Vergotine and Regine le Roux's chat on the subject.

In today's competitive business landscape, a company's reputation can make or break its success. A strong brand reputation is a powerful asset that not only influences customers' perceptions but also impacts a company's bottom line. In this article, we explore the relationship between brand and reputation, the link between brand reputation and business success, and how reputation affects a company.

Dealing with your database: The Key to building strong relationships. I chatted to Clarence Ford on CapeTalk earlier in July. Listen to the conversation here:

Adhering to ethical standards remains essential for the best practices in public relations and communication. All members of APRA and PRCA are required to follow the APRA Code of Conduct and PRCA Professional Charter and Codes of Conduct, respectively, and are accountable for doing so.

Bizcommunity asked me to share my thoughts on last week's African Public Relations Association (APRA) Conference that took place in Lusaka, Zambia.

Here's an excerpt linking the theme of the conference, Creative Africa, Exploring the PR potential of Africa as an emerging economic & reputation powerhouse to reputation management:

Reputation management is all about building and fostering relationships. When it comes to growing your business and reputation, one of the easiest things to do is to build closer relationships with your key stakeholders. However, all too often, organisations find themselves tripped up by a poorly managed database.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), what a complex and often controversial topic! I must confess, I've always been cautious about embracing new trends and technologies. Whenever I heard the words AI or ChatGPT, I tended to shy away. In my mind, I have convinced myself that it was a distant problem that might eventually fade away. I believed it wasn't relevant to me. But boy, was I wrong. Very wrong. AI is not going away, and it will undoubtedly have a profound impact on businesses, business owners, employees, and reputations.

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Africa has launched its second annual study, in partnership with the African Public Relations Association (APRA), examining the state of PR and communications practice and ethics in Africa.

The flagship study, conducted by Reputation Matters, will gather demographic data on the industry and investigate issues including ethics, perceptions of PR in business, talent, remote working, and the challenges facing the industry’s future.

Looking forward and proud to be presenting 'If you treasure it, you will measure it'; the importance, and how to manage your reputation at the SAPICS 44th Annual Conference.
12 to 15 June 2022, Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town

How ethical are you? How ethical is the company that you work for? How ethical is your country? What is ethics and how does it impact your reputation?

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Africa has launched its inaugural study examining the state of the PR and communications industry in Africa.

The flagship study, conducted by Reputation Matters, will gather demographic data on the industry and investigate issues including perceptions of PR in business, ethics, talent, and the pandemic’s impact.

Chris Bischoff, reputation manager at Reputation Matters, has taken the opportunity to look at the basic lessons that he has learned from rock climbing since he started this new hobby eight months ago.

The word “collaboration” has been used almost as much as your favourite pair of tracksuit pants that saw you through the lockdown. The right collaborations, like your trusty track pants, can give you that warm and fuzzy feeling and be quite comforting to know that someone is supporting you and is interested in your business endeavours.

Recently I was called to help a company with some damage control as a result of negative online reviews they received. During the initial call, I did say that online reviews are generally a symptom of a larger issue. We may be able to help with the immediate containment of the situation, but, this would just be like putting a plaster over an unknown wound; we would need to dig a bit deeper and treat the root cause to avoid similar future situations.

As more countries around the world are shifting toward a circular economy, the business community is also expected to work within the ecological boundaries. This tied with consumer demand for sustainable products and services, makes sustainability a top priority. Businesses that ignore this environmental responsibility will get called out, having a detrimental impact on their reputation.

Reputation Matters have launched a free ebook outlining 40 tips and tricks to manage your reputation and communication during the lockdown. Their specialist team have compiled this practical guide based on their extensive knowledge and experience that they have gained over the last 15 years.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we all know how important it is to get your information and updates from credible sources.

For the first time since the digital age, the entire world is faced with same health pandemic crisis and the same threats and fears. It’s a crisis of such magnitude that no textbook could ever have fully prepared any of us for it.

For businesses to remain functional to some degree, it is crucial to optimise the virtual office space. There have been many negative connotations to the Millennial generation, but for once, we can learn something from their communication style and preferences.

Many new developments nowadays require an environmental impact assessment (EIA), with public participation being a vital component. Reputation Matters has launched a public participation service to support environmental practitioners and developers with the public participation process.

Looking after your health and becoming fit, is very closely linked to looking after your reputation. You need good health to get you through life, and you need a good reputation to support you through your company’s journey. Regine le Roux, founder and managing director of Reputation Matters shares four lessons for building your reputation that can be learnt from physical fitness.

In light of World Wildlife Day, taking place on Tuesday, 03 March 2020, Chris Bischoff, reputation manager and sustainability specialist at Reputation Matters, shares some important considerations of sustainable economic development to protect biodiversity and the ecological network.

The new decade is in full swing for most people. Many companies already have their communication strategies in place and are implementing them, while others are wrapping up their annual initiatives and preparing for the new financial year. Do you have a communication strategy?

As many scramble to arrange a gift or romantic evening for their partners this Friday, 14 February, Reputation Matters takes a more proactive approach to love. Chris Bischoff, reputation manager at Reputation Matters covers three ways to proactively love and take care of your reputation.

The new decade is here and with it comes an array of different marketing channels to sell products and services. In an era where you can get almost anything at the click of button, entrepreneurs are often left to wonder how they can stand out and what they can do to “sell their fish” in the new decade? As Sir Richard Branson says, entrepreneurs need to take their business to where the conversation is happening. Which channels should you use to communicate your messages and how can entrepreneurs position themselves in an ever-changing market?

“We want to empower companies to take their reputations to the next level, thereby amplifying their growth and success and, ultimately, boosting South Africa’s economy!”

Three reasons you should consider reputation mentorship

Chris Bischoff, senior stakeholder liaison at Reputation Matters, outlines three important considerations when setting targets that will take your company’s reputation to new heights in 2020

Reputation Matters, who has dominated the reputation research space with their customised reputation research tool, the Repudometer®, is excited about their new service offering that they will be launching in January 2020.

The average corporate reputation score of last year’s reputation research studies conducted by Reputation Matters, a proudly African reputation research company, was 78.4%, a 2.2% decline from 2017 (80.6%).

Managing your personal reputation this time of year is twofold. 2018 may have been your year of achieving your big ambitious goals, targets or a hard-earned promotion. Don’t throw this away with a lapse in behaviour over the holiday season. Beginning the new year with a healthy reputation could be your competitive advantage in the office.

Moboom Ltd, owner of the global business directory Hotfrog, is pleased to announce the appointment of Reputation Matters to operate the Hotfrog platform in South Africa under license.

Employees play an important role in building the reputation of any organisation. Their sentiment towards the company is what they will be communicating to their nearest and dearest. This is important to consider as friends and family will have a perception of the company which is based on what employees say, rather than what a fancy advertising campaign might say. Reputation Matters, a proudly African research company specialising in reputation research, has developed its Organisational Climate Survey (OCS) research model to assess what exactly contributes to employee morale, productivity, employee motivation and behaviour, and job satisfaction. These are all crucial elements when it comes to an organisation’s reputation. By looking after your employees, you are looking after your reputation.

“Everything you want is because you think you will feel happier if you had it. So why don’t you go straight to feeling happy by just laughing more because laughter instantly makes you happy.” ~ Bronwyn Kilroe

Research has proven that incentives increase survey responses. However, enticing a person to complete a survey with an incentive means you can be sure to get different answers. Whether you choose to incentivise your survey or not, data quality needs to be at the centre of this decision.

In a space that is technical, complicated and sometimes full of 'hot air', how do you communicate clearly, truthfully and engagingly about topics such as carbon neutrality, waste management and corporate social responsibility?

As the listeriosis outbreak hit front pages with 180 fatalities* and news spread of contaminated food being pulled from supermarket shelves, communications specialists have been keeping a close watch over how Tiger brands handles the crisis. Regine le Roux, MD of Reputation Matters, takes a closer look at crisis management and how it differs from reputation management.

Corporate South Africa has over the past year learned many lessons in reputation management and the real value of stakeholder relationships.

Even though Christo Wiese has taken the helm as the interim CEO and is trying to stabilise the ship through the storm, Steinhoff faces the threat of becoming the biggest bankruptcy in South African corporate history (Business Times, 10 December 2017).

Many organisations are daunted by the idea of exposing themselves to reputation research that will give them the cold hard facts. Little do they realise that by validating their ‘gut’ feeling with numbers helps them to put SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) action plans in place to ultimately have a stronger, solid and more balanced reputation.