CEOs and large firms facing image problem

There are plenty of preconceived notions people have about the trustworthiness of companies and CEOs. In turn,  PR professionals are often the ones assigned the Herculean task of trying to convey the value that these individuals offer to society. A recent survey from CNBC has demonstrated the image problem that many large firms have. Among those…

There are plenty of preconceived notions people have about the trustworthiness of companies and CEOs. In turn,  PR professionals are often the ones assigned the Herculean task of trying to convey the value that these individuals offer to society.

A recent survey from CNBC has demonstrated the image problem that many large firms have. Among those surveyed, slightly over 30 per cent had a negative or very negative view of large corporations.

While this number was behind government (54 per cent) and corporate lobbyists (59 per cent), it is well below the opinion that individuals have of small companies and non-profit organisations (only 11 and 18 per cent viewed these organisations unfavourably).

When broken down by country, Australians also have a negative opinion of companies and their priorities. When asked about the most common word they associate with ‘corporations’, the main response in Australia was ‘greed’. While this might not be as negative as Polish responders – who associated corporations with ‘exploitation’ – it still represents a challenge for corporate affairs specialists.

It wasn’t all bad news for companies in this survey though, with some findings pointing to the value that the public see in large companies. Firms were seen as most in line with the concept of ‘job creation’, while many of those surveyed also saw corporations as important actors for promoting innovation and economic growth.

Among those surveyed, 64 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that companies get too much credit when the economy is growing while also getting too much criticism when times are harder.

For corporate affairs specialists, these developments point to the serious challenges that the industry faces when communicating with the public. While these opinions might be formidable, there is still plenty of room to win over a sceptical public.

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