On July 27, we hosted a webinar with SIGWATCH titled: Saint, Sinner or Change Maker? Measuring the Impact of NGOs on Corporate Reputation.
It’s a truism that today’s NGOs are political weather-makers across a wide range of issues. From the environment and consumerism to human rights and animal welfare, we see corporations often struggling with NGO-led public policy storms nationally and globally.
What is the effect of NGO campaigns on corporate reputation? Are they affecting public trust in NGOs versus business, and if so, what are the policy implications? And are businesses benefitting from their increasing level of direct engagement with NGOs?
Chris Coulter, CEO of GlobeScan, and Robert Blood, Founder and Managing Director of SIGWATCH, answered these questions by presenting their latest research on NGOs, stakeholders and corporate reputation. Special guest Lee Anderson, Director, Issues Management & State Government Relations at General Mills, provided insight and context from General Mills’ point of view.
Among the highlights was the first public presentation of SIGWATCH’s new analytical tool which reveals that, based on how NGOs treat them, firms can be categorised into distinct groups, from saints and sinners to responders and changemakers. We believe this has potentially significant implications for corporate reputation and stakeholder engagement.
