33% of global CCOs not prepared for online reputation threats

A new survey has revealed that 33% of global chief corporate communications officers (CCOs) say that their company is not prepared for a social media based reputation threat – a worrying statistic as the report adds that 34% of CCOs say that their companies experienced an online reputation threat during the past 12 months.

Findings from the annual survey ‘The Rising CCO’ III, indicate that as online threats to corporate and brand reputations have increased, so too has the importance of communications officers possessing the necessary crisis management skills. 61% of CCOs currently consider crisis management skills as important, compared to only 33% in 2007.

Social media is identified as the most critical challenge as well as the greatest opportunity in the year ahead, with 54% citing social media experience as key for communications staff. Social media and blogging are expected to be the fastest-growing functions in communications departments in the next 12 months, rising from 28 percent in 2008 to 41 percent in 2010.

Media sentiment is top of the CCO’s list of effectiveness measures according to the research. Media favourability as an indicator of communications success, increased from 75% in 2007 to 84% in 2010.

The annual Rising CCO survey is conducted by global executive search firm Spencer Stuart and global public relations firm Weber Shandwick. The 127 survey participants were from companies based in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific with 78% of respondents working in global Fortune 500 companies.