Corporate reputation has emerged as a measurable financial asset, with a new study by global communications firm Burson estimating the value of the global “reputation economy” at $7.07 trillion.
According to the report, companies with the strongest reputations earned an average of 4.78% in additional unexpected annual shareholder returns, over and above what traditional financial performance indicators would predict. In absolute terms, this “reputation return” ranged from $2 million to as much as $202 billion for individual companies analysed.
Titled “The Global Reputation Economy: A New Asset Class for a New Era”, the study quantifies reputation as a tangible driver of financial value, marking a shift from viewing it as an intangible or “soft” corporate attribute.
“For decades, leaders have known intuitively that reputation matters, but they’ve never been able to quantify it as a financial asset; now, we can,” said Corey duBrowa, Global CEO, Burson. “Our research shows that reputation is an interconnected system that, when rigorously managed, can yield billions in measurable returns, build resilience against shocks, and give leaders the confidence to make bold moves. A strong reputation that can deliver financial impact goes well beyond the simple binary of trust.”
AI and the workplace emerge as reputational flashpoints
While companies with strong reputations performed well across all parameters, the study identified the workplace as both a growing risk and opportunity—particularly as organisations integrate artificial intelligence.
Although the workplace ranked lowest in perceived importance among the eight drivers of reputation, the performance gap between top and bottom companies stood at 11.8%, signalling potential reputational exposure.
The report cautioned that poor handling of AI-driven workforce changes could significantly erode corporate reputation.
“Businesses must go beyond having an ‘AI strategy’ and create an ‘AI people strategy,’ because how they manage this transition will be a powerful statement about how they value their employees,” said Matt Reid, Global Corporate and Public Affairs Lead, Burson, and US CEO, Burson Buchanan. “Organizations that invest in reskilling their workforce and co-create the future with their people will earn a reputation dividend. Conversely, those that view AI merely as a tool for headcount reduction will pay a reputation tax, with any efficiency gains offset by reputational losses.”
Sectoral contrasts and reputational risks
The analysis found that top-performing companies showed no weak spots, outperforming peers across all eight reputation drivers, including innovation, product quality and governance.
In high-risk industries such as aerospace and energy, reputational recovery was driven not by marketing or technical prowess, but by internal reforms. Aerospace firms recorded their strongest gains through improvements in governance and workplace practices, while energy companies saw modest reputational gains through workplace and citizenship initiatives.
The finance sector, however, emerged as particularly vulnerable. Declines across leadership, governance and citizenship put an estimated $4.3 billion in reputational value—38% of total reputational capital for companies studied—at risk.
