Reputation, purpose, and sustainability in today’s company
The management of corporate intangibles—reputation, purpose, sustainability, and brand—is increasingly present on companies’ strategic agendas. However, making the leap from discourse to action remains one of the greatest challenges. This is reflected in the Approaching the Future 2025 report, produced by Corporate Excellence – Centre for Reputation Leadership in collaboration with CANVAS Estrategias Sostenibles.
The study, which brings together insights from more than 2,100 professionals across 16 countries, confirms something we frequently observe in our work in communication: companies acknowledge the importance of intangibles, yet they are still not allocating all the tools and resources required to manage them effectively. The gap between strategic priority and available resources persists—and with it, reputational risk. Closing that gap has therefore become essential.
Nine key trends
The report identifies nine areas where organizational attention is currently focused, how they are being implemented, and the main obstacles to their integration:
- Corporate reputation. Considered the most relevant intangible, yet fewer than half of companies allocate sufficient resources to manage it, and only 25% have incorporated it as a KPI in their dashboards.
- Corporate communication. This is the area experiencing the strongest investment growth, although measuring its real impact remains an unresolved challenge.
- Responsible leadership. Widely recognized as a priority, but difficult to consolidate amid tensions between short-term profitability and long-term value creation.
- Corporate purpose. Many organizations have defined it, but few measure it or truly activate it within their internal culture.
- Sustainability. Regulatory pressure is increasing, as is the demand for credibility. The main challenge continues to be the rigorous measurement of impact.
- Artificial intelligence. Expectations are high—particularly in Spain—but preparedness is low, with a shortage of specialized talent and shared ethical frameworks.
- Digitalization and cybersecurity. Progress is uneven, with significant gaps in training and cyber resilience.
- Corporate brand. Often used as a positioning tool, yet its strategic and measurement potential remains underutilized.
- New ways of working. Collaboration and wellbeing are gaining ground, but investment in inclusion and mental health is still insufficient.
From theory to practice
The broader context shows that organizations understand their license to operate now depends on intangibles that were once considered secondary. But recognizing this is not the same as managing it effectively. This is precisely where the most common barriers arise: the lack of clear indicators, rigid organizational structures, and insufficient investment in talent with new skill sets.
At a time when citizens are demanding greater transparency, regulators are raising reporting standards, and markets increasingly reward coherence, it is no longer enough to declare a purpose or publish a sustainability report. What is required is measurement, integration, and the translation of stated commitments into everyday decision-making.
Companies that manage to close this gap will be better prepared for an uncertain environment—not only because they will enjoy greater legitimacy, but because they will be more resilient and better equipped to anticipate risks. After all, reputation is not built through campaigns, but through actions.
