Senior business executives in the Middle East are increasingly recognizing the substantial affects of corporate reputation on their businesses, according to Hill & Knowlton's Corporate Reputation Watch Middle East 2007.

Hill & Knowlton Middle East commissioned the survey to comprehensively review attitudes of senior business executives toward corporate reputation-related issues throughout the region. The survey was conducted by YouGov Siraj.

Dave Robinson, CEO of Hill & Knowlton Middle East highlighted that, 'Positive reputation is a requirement to building and sustaining a healthy business and therefore, an essential component for remaining competitive in this marketplace. Perception now holds almost as much value as performance and profit.'

The first of its kind conducted in the Middle East, the survey highlights the current understanding of and approach to corporate reputation in the Middle East, including the identification of contributing factors as well as benefits to businesses.

94% of senior executives believe that customers and consumers consider corporate reputation to be either important or extremely
77% of senior executives believe that corporate reputation is one of the top three factors investors consider to be either important or extremely important
The top 3 benefits from building and maintaining corporate reputation are additional sales, employee recruitment and retention and facilitating strategic partnerships and transaction.
The reputation of a company's Chief Executive Officer and management team is closely aligned with overall corporate reputation.

'Our research indicated almost ninety-five per cent of senior executives in Kuwait believe that corporate reputation is one of the top three factors investors consider to be very important. We see Kuwait as one of the leading GCC countries to recognise the importance of corporate reputation and organisations here actively promote initatives that help develop corporate reputation - such as Corporate Social Responsibility programmes,' said Kevin Hasler, General Manager of Hill & Knowlton in Kuwait.

The study revealed that a high level of importance is attached to management and CEO reputation, execution of corporate strategy, and corporate culture.

Participants included business executives in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon and Kuwait.

Although the results identify commonalities in the comprehension and approach toward corporate reputation throughout the region, there are very interesting variations between participating countries, reinforcing the fact that the Middle East is far from a homogenous region.

Issues explored include brand alignment, corporate social responsibility, good corporate governance and the role of the CEO. Survey respondents acknowledged the deep connection between corporate reputation and positive supportive behaviour by key stakeholders - in product purchasing decisions, investment decisions and in attracting employees. The results also demonstrate that corporate investment in reputation-related programs is indeed growing as both a strategic and management focus.