Global social specialist agency We Are Social today released new research highlighting the five big cultural trends impacting corporate culture in Australia and the growing importance of social media in managing reputation.
The report, ‘Reputation at the Speed of Social: How Digital is Disrupting Corporate Communications’, explores the growing role of social media in influencing public opinion, stakeholder trust, employee advocacy and crisis response. Drawing on in-depth analysis of digital and social media data, along with research into Australia’s most and least trusted brands, the report reveals that reputation is no longer a behind-the-scenes function, but it’s playing out in real time and in full view of the public.
In response to growing demand for social-led reputation support, We Are Social has launched We Are Social Reputation, a new offering designed to help boards, CEOs and corporate affairs leaders navigate today’s social-first communications landscape.
The practice launches in partnership with Paul Edwards, previously group general manager of corporate communications at ANZ and a former trustee of the Page Society. It will deliver insight-led strategies, always-on reputation-building programmes and campaigns that position owned and earned social media as a core channel for proactive reputation management and stakeholder engagement.
Reputation at the Speed of Social: Key Trends
- The customer–shareholder disconnect. Rising economic pressures and social media scrutiny have put corporations, their profits and their people under the microscope. Australians are calling out price gouging and tone-deaf leadership. Empathy and transparency are critical to rebuilding trust.
- The DEI dilemma. Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts face new scrutiny, requiring companies to move beyond virtue signalling to authentic action. To pass the ‘pub-test’, corporations must ensure initiatives are truly inclusive, action-led, and grounded in authenticity.
- The inside-out corporation. In an era of radical transparency, internal culture is now synonymous with external reputation. Workplace culture is public domain, thanks to TikTok, LinkedIn and Glassdoor, where employees can be influential storytellers. Companies that effectively harness employee-generated content (EGC) will thrive.
- The rise of vocal advocates. With trust in institutions declining, people turn to credible peers and independent experts for guidance. As we shift from a ‘deference’ to a ‘reference culture’, the future of advocacy lies with credible voices on social media. Corporations that partner with trusted voices to shape public sentiment can reap reputational rewards.
- Technological tension. Tech and innovation can drive business growth, but also spark public fear. From AI to data breaches, Australians are anxious. To build trust, companies must lead with human-centric decision-making and transparent storytelling.
“Social media is now the frontline of public opinion,” said Suzie Shaw, We Are Social APAC CEO. “Reputations are no longer shaped behind closed doors, they’re increasingly built or broken online and, in real time.
“In this new era, corporate and consumer communications have converged. A single employee’s TikTok or a mishandled customer complaint can redefine a company’s reputation overnight. Traditional media relations alone can’t keep up.
“To meet this shift, we’ve launched We Are Social Reputation – a dedicated practice to help organisations lead with social-first reputation strategies. Built in partnership with respected industry leader and former Group General Manager of Corporate Communications at ANZ, Paul Edwards, the practice brings deep corporate communications expertise together with our social and cultural data intelligence.
“Our research and client experience show that brands who embrace social-led reputation management are best equipped to thrive, even in turbulent times. There’s a clear opportunity to build smarter, always-on strategies that use social insight not just to manage crises, but to proactively shape public perception and stakeholder trust.”
We Are Social Reputation will deliver insights, strategies and campaigns to support boards, CEOs and corporate affairs teams in using owned and earned social media as core channels for proactive reputation building and management.
“The environment that corporate communications leaders are operating in has fundamentally changed over the past decade,” added Paul Edwards, adviser, We Are Social Reputation. “Reputations are now shaped online, in digital forums and in social media. Communications functions need to embrace the shift and accelerate building capability in digital and social.
“The shift also allows communications leaders to build from data-led insights and bring data-based decision making to the function and to the advice we provide executives and boards. We Are Social’s experience in social strategy and execution means we are ideally placed to support communications teams make this shift.”
