By: John Gilfeather, Executive Advisor to Vision Critical

Companies are glad to be out of the limelight, but may be missing the boat.

Overheard at a conference the other day was a corporate PR person from a beleaguered company saying. “Thank heavens for BP. Now we are not on the front pages.” But the truth is that even companies that have been traditionally highly respected are feeling the public backlash.

In this time of unprecedented cynicism and public mistrust Vision Critical and its public affairs division Angus Reid Public Opinion decided to launch a new corporate reputation measurement system ReputationPlus which investigates more than just the presence or absence of positives. By probing the negatives like executive compensation, short-termism, secrecy, greed and arrogance we hoped to gain a clearer picture of public opinion in these unusual times.

While those very visible companies who have publicly transgressed are being justifiably censured, many well respected companies are being tarred with the brush of out of control executive compensation, short term gains being put ahead of long term corporate health and disregard for the public good.

In forty years of studying corporate reputation, I have never seen this level of vitriol aimed at larger corporations. It is not just an erosion of positives, but also a rise in distinct negatives. And if companies do not start communicating – and communicating better – about why they should be respected, this trend will continue.

It is not news that almost half of Americans think that BP puts profits ahead of what is good for the United States. But it is news that one out of five Americans feels this way about widely admired companies like Kraft and Johnson & Johnson.

On average, across the 54 companies studied in ReputationPlus, one out of three citizens describes these companies as trustworthy. On the other hand, one out of four sees these companies as greedy, secretive and arrogant. Clearly, there has been a breach of faith between corporations and citizens.

What can be done to stem this tide? Vision Critical offers three suggestions:

1. Know Thyself. Don’t rest on your laurels. Take a good hard look at what is bothering Americans and how this is affecting your reputation.
2. Connect the Dots. Communicate how your products and services – and the way you do business – benefit not only customers, but citizens as a whole.
3. Build Familiarity. The French author Andre Gide said, “Understanding is the beginning of approving.” The Vision Critical data clearly show that people who are more familiar with a company are more favorable toward it This is true even for companies that currently are facing widespread criticism.

Learn how ReputationPlus provides insights into Corporate Reputation Management.

See what companies came out at the top of the heap – view the ReputationPlus Corporate Ranking.