Former MB Man Coke Launches Reputation Insight Agency

In London, former Kantar Millward Brown practice leader Ed Coke has set up a new agency called Repute Associates, using insight and analysis to build, sustain and recover corporate reputations.

Coke (pictured) has more than 25 years' experience in the field of corporate reputation and stakeholder research. Most recently, he worked for The Reputation Institute as Director of Consulting Services, prior to which he led Kantar Millward Brown's Corporate practice as Head of BPRI, and he was Commercial Director at reputation specialist Echo Research. He also held client-side roles at American Express, having begun his career at Martin Hamblin Research and Research International.

With his latest venture, Coke aims to bring new thinking to the measurement of corporate reputation through consultancy, strategy and measurement services. The agency has already developed branded approaches to emotional longevity and crisis response, to help clients turn data into a reputation framework that sets the agenda for Board-level reputation strategies.

Coke says the agency's starting point is to always maximise existing data and research, and it will only undertake new primary research if there's a clear business case. 'Although many companies have a lot of reputation data available to them, there is often a gap in interpretation or integration to generate clear actions to build, sustain and protect this precious asset,' he explains. 'Repute Associates offers expert-led consultancy to make existing data more meaningful'.

The firm is online at: www.repute.associates .