Burson Values Global Corporate Reputation Economy at $7.07 Trillion
Strong corporate reputations generate 4.78% additional shareholder returns annually. Burson's research quantifies reputation as a $7.07T asset class.
Corporate reputation has officially entered balance sheet territory. Burson's new research reveals that companies with strong reputations generate up to 4.78% in additional annual shareholder returns, creating a global "reputation economy" valued at $7.07 trillion. That figure equals the combined market capitalization of Alphabet, Meta, and Tesla.
The study transforms reputation from an intangible communications concept into a quantifiable financial asset. Between October 2024 and 2025, Burson evaluated 66 publicly listed companies worldwide, analyzing stakeholder insights, media data, and share price movements to measure reputation's direct impact on market value.
Reputation Drives Measurable Shareholder Returns
The research found that reputation-driven returns add between $2 million and $202 billion in shareholder value per company beyond traditional financial performance metrics. This positions reputation management as a strategic financial function rather than a soft communications activity.
Mission Media
"Reputation is an interconnected system that, when rigorously managed, can yield billions in measurable returns," said Corey duBrowa, Burson's global CEO. The firm's methodology connects stakeholder perceptions directly to unexpected stock price movements, isolating reputation's financial contribution from other market factors.
For Asian markets, the implications are particularly significant. ASEAN companies report only 2.5% of enterprise value as recognized intangible assets, suggesting massive underreporting of reputation's actual financial impact. Meanwhile, China's intangible assets have grown to contribute 31% of a $97.6 trillion global total, though tangible assets still dominate at 69%.
Workplace Reputation Emerges as Critical Vulnerability
The study identified workplace reputation as the largest performance gap between leading and lagging companies. Top quartile performers scored 71.1 points out of 100 versus 57.3 for bottom performers, an 11.8 percentage point difference that creates vastly different risk profiles for executives.
This gap matters because workplace reputation directly influences how companies navigate AI integration. Organizations that co-create AI transitions with employees earn what Burson calls a "reputation dividend," while those using AI primarily for headcount reduction face a "reputation tax" that erodes shareholder value.
"Companies need an AI people strategy beyond mere technology implementation," said Matt Reid, Burson's global corporate lead. The research shows that workforce perception of AI deployment affects external stakeholder confidence, creating measurable stock price impacts.
Finance Sector Faces Acute Reputational Risk
The finance sector emerged as particularly vulnerable, with declining leadership, governance, and citizenship metrics placing $4.3 billion, or 38% of analyzed reputational value, at risk. Top performers across all sectors consistently outperformed on eight reputation drivers, with the largest gaps appearing in innovation (15.5 points), product quality (15.2 points), and governance (14.4 points).
Interestingly, the aerospace and energy sectors demonstrated that reputational recovery comes from internal improvements rather than external messaging. Aerospace companies rebuilt reputation through workplace and governance enhancements rather than engineering communications, while energy firms gained more ground through citizenship and workplace initiatives than sustainability announcements.
"Disciplined reputation management is critical for Asian companies to compete globally," said HS Chung, Burson's Asia-Pacific CEO. The research establishes reputation as a balance sheet asset class requiring the same rigorous management as physical assets or financial investments.
The study arrives as global markets increasingly recognize intangible value, with 83% of intangible assets still unreported on corporate balance sheets worldwide. For publicly listed firms, particularly in Asian markets, this research provides a methodology to quantify and manage reputation as a strategic financial asset rather than a communications afterthought.
Want to stay up-to-date on the stories shaping Asia's media, marketing, and comms industry? Subscribe to Mission Media for exclusive insights, campaign deep-dives, and actionable intel.
