Vision Critical Rolls Out ReputationPlus

Panels and research technology firm Vision Critical and its public affairs practice Angus Reid Public Opinion have launched a new diagnostic approach to providing clients with a comparative view of their corporate reputation.

In addition to measuring the presence or absence of positive attitudes towards corporations, the firms' new ReputationPlus solution probes the negative issues surrounding executive compensations, management's short-term thinking, secrecy, greed and arrogance.

Additionally, the tool collects segmentation data about stakeholders' use of social and traditional media, citizen activism, financial/investing confidence, technology adoption, environmental concern and shopping behavior.

'There are stakeholder segments which are more important and influential and segments that have less impact, and each has different media consumption patterns,' explains John Gilfeather, who has been consulting with Vision Critical on this initiative. 'ReputationPlus recognizes this and can give corporations a specific insight and guidance into managing reputation'.

In an initial study, 800 Americans were surveyed from a total of 10,800, drawn from Vision Critical's proprietary online Springboard America panel.

Gilfeather said that in forty years of studying corporation reputation, he has never seen such a high level of vitriol aimed at larger corporations. 'It is not just an erosion of positives, but also a rise in distinct negatives,' he states.

Gilfeather is an expert in corporate reputation measurement, having previously served as Managing Partner at Yankelovich, as Head of Roper Public Affairs and Media, and EVP in charge of Stakeholder Management research at TNS.

Web sites: www.visioncritical.com and www.angus-reid.com .