Nearly 80 Percent Believe Responsible Companies Recover Faster After Crisis According to New Global Executive Survey

Nearly 80 Percent Believe Responsible Companies Recover Faster After Crisis According to New Global Executive Survey

November 16, 2006

Over One-Half Believe Corporate Responsibility is a Critical Driver of Overall Reputation

    
    NEW YORK, Nov. 15 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A substantial
majority of global business executives (79 percent)
surveyed believe that companies with strong corporate
responsibility track records recover their reputations
faster post-crisis than those with weaker records. This
finding did not differ by region. The survey, Safeguarding
Reputation(TM), was conducted in 11 markets by global
public relations firm Weber Shandwick with KRC Research. 

    Executives Who Believe Strong Corporate Responsibility

    Record Aids Reputation Recovery

    Total      North America        Europe      Asia
Pacific
     79%           79%               78%            79%

    Source: Weber Shandwick Safeguarding Reputation(TM)
conducted with KRC Research, 2006

    "Reputation recovery is increasingly driven by
more than financial metrics," said Weber Shandwick's
International Head of Corporate Responsibility &
Sustainability Brendan May. "As social, economic and
political agendas increasingly influence consumer and
market issues, companies now recognize that a record of
corporate responsibility can inoculate a company against
long-term reputation failure. Responsibility is no a longer
nice-to-have. It is now a must-have corporate
mandate."

    Responsibility Is a Vital Building Block of Reputation


    Global business executives were also asked to rate
factors that build company reputation today. Over one-half
(55%) surveyed report that being recognized as committed to
corporate responsibility contributes "a lot" to a
company's overall reputation. European and Asia Pacific
executives were more likely than their North American
counterparts to agree on the importance of corporate
responsibility in driving reputation.
	
    Executives Who Believe Corporate Responsibility 
    Contributes "A Lot" to Company Reputation

    Total       North America        Europe       Asia
Pacific
     55%            47%                56%            52%

    Source: Weber Shandwick Safeguarding Reputation(TM)
conducted with KRC Research, 2006

    "Companies have awakened to the fact that
corporate responsibility is a business imperative in
building a good reputation today. Leaders understand that
responsible companies attract the best talent, earn
valuable trust and generate more positive
word-of-mouth," added Weber Shandwick's U.S. Corporate
Practice Chairperson Micho Spring. "In fact, KPMG
International reports that 52 percent of the largest 250
firms of the Fortune 500 publish corporate social
responsibility reports, an increase of 45 percent from
three years ago."  

    Safeguarding Reputation(TM)

    Safeguarding Reputation was conducted by Weber
Shandwick in partnership with KRC Research among 950 global
business executives in 11 countries spanning North America,
Europe and Asia Pacific. Brazil was the only Latin American
country participating in the survey. All interviews were
conducted by telephone between July 20 and August 8, 2006.
The sampling error for the total sample is +/- 3.2
percentage points.

    About Weber Shandwick

    Weber Shandwick is one of the world's leading global
public relations firms with offices in major media,
business and government capitals around the world. The firm
specializes in strategic marketing communications, media
relations programs, public affairs and issues management,
reputation management, and provides corporate
communications counseling. Weber Shandwick also provides
specialized integrated services including Web relations,
advocacy advertising, market research and visual
communications. Find out more at
http://www.webershandwick.com .

    Weber Shandwick is a unit of The Interpublic Group of
Companies (NYSE: IPG), which is among the world's largest
advertising and marketing services organizations.

    About KRC Research

    KRC Research is a full service market and attitudinal
research firm.  Research partner to Weber Shandwick and
other Interpublic Group agencies, KRC specializes in
strategic communications research, including research to
support product communications, corporate communications,
public affairs, and social marketing. KRC provides a full
range of primary research services, including surveys,
focus groups, and executive interviewing.  Find out more at
http://www.krcresearch.com . 

    About reputationRx (
http://www.webershandwick.com/reputationrx )

    Weber Shandwick's new reputationRx Web site provides
professionals interested in leadership issues with the
latest news, research findings, insights, best practices
and commentary on how to build and safeguard CEO and
corporate reputation. It covers a full range of topics such
as reputation care and recovery, CEO turnover, corporate
responsibility, and strategies for communicating CEO and
corporate reputation. The site is also continually updated
to include the most recent newsmakers and fast-breaking
trends that are transforming the business and reputation
landscapes.

    For more information, please contact:

     Laura Bachrach
     Weber Shandwick 
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

SOURCE  Weber Shandwick