Corporate Reputation

Leading U.S. Health Insurance Provider

Business Problem

This leading health insurance company had been tracking their corporate reputation for some time, noting that they had continually strong reputation perceptions among their target audiences, with key drivers of their strong reputation being focused on their vision and leadership. The company then experienced a slip in their business performance as well as in their key attribute ratings in their reputation study.

Implementation

The Harris Interactive Brand & Strategy Consulting Practice explored the issues that this company was facing by conducting some qualitative exploration which uncovered that the leadership equity the company thought was helping to drive business was related exclusively to the CEO, who was expected to retire within 18 months. The companies policy initiatives were seen as key business differentiators were thought to be pet projects of the CEO, not core business initiatives. In regards to both of these issues, financial markets, key customers, employees and industry analysts were all nervous regarding the lack of succession planning. Furthermore, customers were concerned that the proprietary initiatives developed under the CEO would be scaled back or eliminated.

With the insights gained through the research, the Brand & Strategy Consulting Practice made strategic recommendations to the corporate management team, including:

• Begin to scale back CEO as primary face to market
• Board to announce launch of succession planning internally
• Attach possible internal candidates to core and new policy initiatives
• Include story regarding strategic importance of one of these initiatives in all major internal and external communications
• Require three face to face customers visits per quarter for each of the 6 executives

Leading Global Services Provider

Business Problem

This leading global services provider had established three corporate strategic imperatives:

1) Advance a full portfolio story.

2) Focus greater resources and efforts on key local markets.

3) Design and execute most appropriate corporate philanthropic model.

To support these initiatives, the company recognized it needed to have specific brand research insights to guide their decisions.

Implementation

The Brand & Strategy Consulting Practice built a corporate brand and reputation study to develop strategic insights for the company’s initiatives. To provide the insights needed, the research involved, over-sampling in target markets and multiple analysis models. The research team also sought opportunities not traditionally part of reputation outcomes and sought a greater understanding of receptivity and motivations of philanthropic efforts.

The research found different reputation and behavioral drivers in markets where the company had a larger concentration of employees. It also uncovered a different opportunity clustering in these high concentration markets as well as strategic insights on results associated with specific philanthropic opportunities.

Upon completion of the research, the research team consulted the company to take a few specific actions that would provide the greatest opportunity for success. The company was advised to release key markets from certain mandated corporate programs, so that they could leverage the local strengths that were afforded the company. Also, the company was advised to build a business and citizenship model around "Hometown Company." In doing so, they would be able to link to key community efforts, model against grass roots communications and allow local client leadership to align with local political and business leadership.

The client has taken the strategic advice provided and is running the new approach in five test markets and measuring the outcome against five control markets. The results of its new strategy have included:

• A 31% increase in its cross sell program versus a 25% increase in the control markets
• Increase in quantity and quality of media mentions
• Media analysis showing 60% improvement in media content being aligned with desired brand positioning