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Protecting Intangible Asset Value

There are many good reasons why you would want to protect your company's reputation. Let us help you build the business case for why putting reputation at the top of management priorities could well be your greatest strategic opportunity. Download our Q&A or read further.

First, in a market system based on trust, reputation has incomparable economic value. In fact, the word “reputation” sums up the intangible assets that comprise more than 50% of the value of publicly traded companies.

Second, stakeholders are increasingly following reputation in the business press. Lexis searches of the term “Reputation Management” in databases of major newspapers and periodicals shows an increasing number of appearances in a given year shown in red. (Interest in "Intellectual Property" is shown in black as a control).

Third, stakeholders are increasingly searching the internet for stories about reputation. The Google Trends(tm) chart below shows in red the progressive rise in both searches and stories about "Reputation."

Fourth, the Director and Officer's Duty of Care appears to extend to oversight of reputation-linked intangible asset management, according to certain readings of In re Caremark Int’l Inc. Derivative Litig., 698 A.2d 959 (Del. Ch. 1996), and Stone v. Ritter, 2006 Del. LEXIS 597 (Del. 2006).

Last, survey after survey confirms that corporate executives understand the critical importance of reputation management. McKinsey and Company in June 2009 concluded that “companies must step up their reputation-management efforts.” They noted that “…reputations are built on a foundation not only of communications but also of deeds: stakeholders can see through PR that is not supported by real and consistent business activity.” The Conference Board reported in 2009 that assessing reputation risks was the highest ranked corporate challenge. Fully 82% of risk managers surveyed said their company was making a substantial effort to manage reputation risk and, over the last three years, has increased focus in this area.

In short, second only to managing cash, managing corporate reputation has emerged as today’s primary business concern. Corporate executives and boards ignore reputational perils at their own risk.

And now the good news. Protecting your company's reputation is an investment with a demonstrable ROI. With Steel City Re's risk and reputation management solutions, you can:

  • Increase enterprise-wide visibility and managerial control
  • Save operational costs
  • Reduce risks and surprises
  • Indemnify against covered losses
  • Create substantive solutions valued by all stakeholders

Here is how we do it:

  • We measure and assess the reputational drivers of, and threats to, value. Our quantitative tools provide the first available reliable measurements of the reputation value drivers for customers, employees, vendors, and investors and the impact of those drivers on market value. These tools help project ROI.
  • We help you adopt industry-developed best practices. Our software provides a low-cost, easily-implemented means to communicate best practices throughout your entire working business environment, including your supply chain, licensees, and franchise network. Exemplary best practices include ISO 9002, ISO 14000, ISO 28000, and SAI 8000.
  • We analyze gaps. Our software system compares "what is" to "what should be" and provides recommendations for remediation and compliance. And we measure the financial impact of remediation effort.
  • We train and stress test. Our software-based training programs provide the knowledge and practice that sustain high performance on key business processes. Our programs include process simulations that test the effectiveness of tactical, operational, and strategic plans.
  • We foster conformance. Our insurance-based solutions foster conformance and compliance through a proven process that reduces system-wide reputation risk and precludes culpability for problems that may arise. Our insurance-linked incentives put muscle behind reputation management.
  • We monitor and forecast. Our services include a technology-driven 360° look around your world; including geo-political events, financial events, security events and environmental factors that might impact the business or raise flags about bad things to come. We inform you so you can plan, eliminate surprises, and respond and manage events before they occur or get out of control.
  • We communicate value. We synchronize with your marketing, risk management, operations and compliance teams to create a substantive reputation resilience solution that will be recognized and valued by stakeholders. Our cash-sparing services leverage your corporate and operational resources; and can augment them as needed with world-class third-party professionals.

You owe it to yourself and your company to learn more.