Responsible leadership is the primary trend for Latin Americans, according to the study “Approaching the Future 2022”

Brazilian professionals and communication professionals from Latin American countries participated in the online event

Aberje and the Regional Council for Latin America of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management – a confederation of the world’s leading PR and communication associations – promoted a session on the study “Trends in Reputation and Intangible Management – Approaching the Future 2022.” The audience included Brazilian professionals and communication professionals from Latin America.

The 7th edition of the study was presented by Angel Alloza, CEO of Corporate Excellence of the Centre for Reputation Leadership, a leading research, knowledge, and training center specializing in the management and measurement of intangible assets. The study identifies critical issues organizations are working on and their challenges. At the meeting, participants analyzed the present and future of managing intangible assets – especially the trends in reputation, brand, ethical sustainability, and transparency – in Latin American organizations.

“This is a tool that I consider essential to know practically the trends in reputation and management of intangibles that are the most important for business management. It is a report to be used daily helping companies successfully navigate all the social and economic contexts in which they are immersed,” says Alloza. “We are convinced that companies and organizations that can fully understand the power of the intangible as elements of construction and protection of business value will be able to achieve two things: having a competitive differential and building a social capital with all interest groups,” he says.

The study was done in two stages. The first phase identified trends from more than 400 sources and studies of social prospecting. Then, all trends are analyzed through the vision of about 600 professionals from 55 countries.

The top five trends that appear in the global priorities ranking are (1) corporate purpose; (2) responsible leadership; (3) digitalization; (4) diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (5) governance and ethics. “The topic that organizations are working on most is the purpose, which has grown in this edition of the report. We observed a positive trend in this field,” says Clara Fontán, Director of Intelligence & Knowledge at the Centre for Reputation Leadership. “It is worth highlighting significant growth in diversity & inclusion. This theme has grown most in relevance in this year’s study.”

Other trends pointed out by the research are (6) reputation and reputational risk; (7) corporate communication and advertising; (8) building trust with interest groups; (9) 2030 Agenda; (10) metrics and ESG; (11) the future of work; (12) cybersecurity; (13) activist brands; (14) CEO reputation; (15) climate change; and (16) fundraising for sustainability.

The study also shows which subjects have generated the most effort in organizations. Alloza points out that among the most important are actions aimed at developing metrics and indicators at all levels – both reputation metrics and reputation and sustainability models, indicators, and KPIs. “The trends we have identified in this edition that define the present and future of organizations appear two new themes: The generation of trust between interest groups and the reputation of CEOs.”

Geographically speaking, the most crucial trend in Europe is digitalization – a topic that ranks fifth in Latin America. On the other hand, responsible leadership is the main trend for Latin Americans and reaches third place for Europeans. Another highlight in this sense is that seven out of ten Latin American organizations work in the management of reputation and trust.

“Professionals from both regions coincide with the five most relevant trends, and the purpose appears in the second position in both regions, reaffirming actions in this sense in these parts of the world,” says Fontán.

According to Alloza, the seven pillars of reputation are (1) impeccable products and services; (2) Innovation; (3) Human Resources Policy; (4) Sustainability Policies; (5) Ethics and Governance; (6) Economic and Financial Results and (7) Management Quality.

The study is available in English at Corporate Excellence.