The saying “brand is what’s left after advertising and marketing have swept through the room” is such a powerful illustration of the lasting impact of a reputation. As a company that has been in the business of proactively planning for life’s eventualities for over 109 years, we are extremely proud of the recognition afforded to Assupol by the Top Companies South Africa Reputation Index in the category of insurance and financial services.

The recognition we received for trustworthy staff, treating clients fairly, good customer relationships and mutual trust as well as a positive claims experience confirms that our culture of serving those who serve is effective.

Our rich heritage and reputation of serving are what make our clients proud to be associated with Assupol.

With a high unemployment rate and a heavily indebted workforce, people in South Africa have less income available to meet monthly expenses, which is why insurance is a valuable benefit to have. And with more financial services providers offering long-term insurance products, we are even more intent on providing products and services that are truly beneficial to our clients’ needs – this is what motivates us to keep innovating and keep serving.

Assupol is a household name in South Africa, synonymous with quality service and affordable products that are tailored to address the needs of our focused markets. But more importantly, after more than a century, Assupol has remained the caring company it was at its inception. We will continue to offer the best to our clients and uphold the strong reputation we are renowned for.

Besides selling products and services, we also serve our nation by giving back to the communities around us. We believe that we have a duty to contribute towards resolving the challenges our communities are faced with, wherever we are able to do so.

Assupol’s ethos of serving means we act intentionally and willingly, to benefit others. We serve because we understand that we can help improve the lives of people around us. We are proud to serve the hardworking men and women of South Africa. Our reputation has a significant impact on our brand proposition and the affinity of Assupol amongst our employees, representatives, broker business partners and clients. The Assupol name will keep opening doors because we are trusted by our clients to deliver on our promises.

–ENDS–

About Assupol:

Assupol Life is a proudly South African insurance company which began in 1913 as a burial society. From that modest and caring beginning, it has grown into a fully-fledged life insurer, serving those who serve and often leading with innovative products and services. Assupol provides funeral, life, savings and retirement products to South Africans and remains a trusted insurer to its clients.

www.assupol.co.za

Consumer Trust Added to Criteria

In 2022, almost 180 companies from 11 different sectors will be assessed. Development and finance institutions, ride-hailing services, and hotels & leisure are among the new categories. This year’s criteria will include the level of TRUST customers have in the companies they are in contact with.

The TCSA survey, which focuses on a comprehensive understanding of what makes a top organisation, is the largest annual corporate reputation research in the nation. 1500 national respondents who are representative of South Africa’s corporate environment are anticipated to participate. Each organisation is weighted out of a possible 100 score, based on the reputation pillars in relation to their potential influence on reputation. In October 2022, the best-performing businesses will be revealed.

Plus94 Research and Media Torque & Events will host a special webinar to provide insights on the survey methodology during the month of August.

The 2021 reputation survey report highlighted business drivers during COVID-19 with “business as usual” becoming “unusual.” This year saw even greater changes across the global business environment with only those growing through novel challenges while achieving their goals.

Throughout the world, the global economic downturn called for new strategies. Those at the helm of big business had been called upon to traverse an increasingly unknown landscape, focusing not only on the bottom line anymore, but the ability to visualise an uncertain future and stay relevant.

Known for its ground-breaking scientific research methodologies, Plus94 Research explored insights that were easily quantified through the use of face-to-face interviews with selected respondents, using Tablet-Assisted Personal Interviewing (TAPI).

According to Dr Sifiso Falala, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Plus 94 Research, the reputation index is one of the most important surveys any business should be involved in. “Plus 94 Research is proud to partner with scores of businesses that understand how to dovetail their interests with those of society. More and more businesses are accepting the reality that they cannot remain inward looking for too long and that reputations are liable to change even without their businesses doing anything that is not overtly wrong”.

Nthabiseng Mokake, Managing Director of Media Torque & Events, says: “To stay relevant in a changing world, business leaders have to embrace change and provide leadership to not only ensure sustainability but also have the necessary vision to grow with the times. We are pleased to again partner with Plus 94 Research in its quest to award those organisations who are driving change and creating a more inclusive and successful future for South Africans through excellent service delivery.”

For more information on Top Companies South Africa, Contact:

Malcomn@mediatorque.co.za

Oscar@plus94.co.za

Ends//

Notes:

About Plus94 Research

Plus 94 is one of South Africa’s leading market research companies. It is a company recognised for its progressive thinking and leadership. With its core value unpinned by The Science of Decision-Making. A key pillar to its foundation was the vision to challenge existing benchmarks and set new knowledge frontiers for the research industry.

About Media Torque and Events

Media Torque & Events (Pty) Ltd is a women-led and pan-African integrated media agency and publishing company. We publish niche digital titles such as Women in Science, Greening Afrika and bespoke publications.

Mediatorque and Events in collaboration with Plus 94 Research announced the 2021 results of the Top Companies South Africa: Reputation Index at a fully packed virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, November 11^th.

Truworths was voted the most trustworthy company in South Africa. Debonairs, Ackermens, SABC, and Multichoice were all listed after Truworths. Truworths, Ackermans, and Mr Price are three of the top ten retailers in the fashion shopping category. Dis-Chem and Pick n Pay Healthcare, two pharmaceutical retailers, stood out as having good reputations.

Nthabiseng Mokake, MD of Media Torque and Events says, “We are proud of our association with Plus 94 Research, this survey is not only a powerful indicator of how important a company’s reputation is, but a clear distinction can be made between a company’s reputation and its share price or performance. Consumers are loyal to a brand or company when that company operates ethically and is a good corporate citizen.”

TCSA asserts that brand management and business reputation management are not the same thing. The opinions of stakeholders about a company’s reputation are crucial. Much attention is spent on the more short-term operational aspects of a brand, and insufficient time on longer-term reputation. The TCSA awards offer a gateway to an understanding and the management of reputations.

Consumers have nearly unlimited access to information about companies and can share such information with their peers across the world, making reputation management an important element in safeguarding the wellbeing of the corporate brand.

The TCSA Reputation Index was created with the goal of identifying the factors that influence a company’s reputation, and thus its long-term viability and profitability. Companies can manage their reputation, but they can’t always control or predict it. Customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders have control over it. The 2021 TCSA study had over 2 600 participants and rated about 200 companies.

Sifiso Falala, CEO of Plus 94 Research, says, “The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the business landscape and forced companies to relook their brand and reputation strategies. We have seen customers, potential partners and employees demanding more from businesses, and wanting to be associated with more conscientious companies that have great reputations. Coupled with that, in the age of social media and online customer review sites, reputation management has never been more complex. This survey gives companies and organisations the opportunity to showcase the strides they have achieved in effectively managing their brands and reputations, and provides a platform for them to also identify gaps and establish areas of improvement.”

Categories:

• Overall Most Reputational Company – Truworths
• Pharmaceutical Retail – Dis-chem
• FMCG Personal Care – Colgate Palmolive
• Retail: Fashion Shopping – Truworths
• Media Companies – Multichoice
• Retail: Hardware Stores – Builders Warehouse
• Retail: Grocery Shopping – Food Lovers Market
• Motor Manufacturers – Toyota
• Soft Beverages – Red Bull
• FMCG Companies – Procter & Gamble
• Telecommunications – Telkom Mobile
• Fast Food Outlets – Debonairs
• Financial Services: Banking – Absa
• Oil & Gas Companies – Engen
• Retail: Home Stores – Hi-Fi Corp
• E-Commerce – Locanto
• State-Owned Enterprises – SABC
• Alcoholic Beverages – Heineken International
• Pharmaceutical Manufactures – Pfizer
• Entertainment – Ster-Kinekor
• Financial Services: Investment & Insurance – Assupol Financial Services
• Financial Services: Credit Providers – African Bank
• Financial Services: FinTech – Tyme Bank
• Financial Services: Short-Term Insurance- Dail Direct
• Pharmaceutical Distributors – Medinox

View the digital issue of the 2021 TCSA reputation index: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/65973671/top-companies-south-africa-2021

The customised report provides detailed insights into the research findings. The report will reveal that boycott behaviour, or customers’ predisposition to avoid buying from companies with a bad reputation, is significantly high. The report will further show how nearly half of South Africans believe businesses are not doing enough to address the problems they face in society. There is an expectation that the corporate world should not isolate itself from society by not paying attention to daily concerns.

TCSA asserts that brand management and business reputation management are not the same thing. The opinions of stakeholders about a company’s reputation are crucial. Much attention is spent on the more short-term operational aspects of a brand, and insufficient time on longer-term reputation. The TCSA awards offer a gateway to an understanding and the management of reputations.

Consumers have nearly unlimited access to information about companies and can share such information with their peers across the world, making reputation management an important element in safeguarding the wellbeing of the corporate brand.

The TCSA Reputation Index was created with the goal of identifying the factors that influence a company’s reputation, and thus its long-term viability and profitability. Companies can manage their reputation, but they can’t always control or predict it. Customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders have control over it. The 2021 TCSA study had over 2 600 participants and rated about 200 companies.

Sifiso Falala, CEO of Plus 94 Research, says, “The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the business landscape and forced companies to relook their brand and reputation strategies. We have seen customers, potential partners and employees demanding more from businesses, and wanting to be associated with more conscientious companies that have great reputations. Coupled with that, in the age of social media and online customer review sites, reputation management has never been more complex. This survey gives companies and organisations the opportunity to showcase the strides they have achieved in effectively managing their brands and reputations, and provides a platform for them to also identify gaps and establish areas of improvement.”

Nthabiseng Mokake, MD of Media Torque and Events, says, “We need to distinguish between a good reputation and public relations. Reputation refers to what you do and not what you say. Countless studies have shown that an impeccable reputation is not only a nice to have, but a business imperative that helps to attract more business opportunities, creates greater revenues, attracts sought-after employees and more customers.”

She said, in the age of smartphones and COVID-19, business reputation management refocuses and strengthens corporate control. COVID-19 has had a broad-reaching impact on the industry, extending beyond traditional catastrophic risks. It was a truly one-of-a-kind “black swan” event that will transform the way businesses are conducted for years to come.

The advent of the digital era has revolutionised the way we communicate and brought information to our fingertips about any conceivable topic. While this vast network has also allowed us to connect with other users all over the world, both socially and commercially, it is becoming increasingly challenging to manage one’s reputation.

While the public relations professionals of yesteryear could effectively respond to negative publicity in the media in a fairly targeted and structured way, today a single tweet or comment can cause a business to undergo a trial by social media before anyone can react, effectively unravelling a reputation that has been established over decades.

Social media has become, in a sense, an untameable beast. While this medium is useful to corporates for interactions with brand consumers, it can also be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Despite the effort organisations have spent building trust with consumers and maintaining their reputation over many years.

It is increasingly challenging for anyone, whether they are corporates or an individual, to protect their reputations. We are all an ill-judged comment away from going viral and undoing decades of reputation building.

A study by the World Economic Forum (WEF) shows that on average, approximately 25% of a company’s market value is directly attributable to its reputation. Reputation is an organization’s most valuable asset, but also the easiest to lose. Over my many years as a reputation specialist, I have witnessed many companies lose their seemingly solid reputations overnight. With nearly a staggering three billion people active on social media channels around the world, news (whether true of fake) tends to spread like wildfire leaving organisations scrambling to pick up the pieces.

Brands go through a trial by social media, long before the rumours, speculations or comments are proven or invalidated. It is in these moments of crisis that companies strategize on how to respond appropriately. More often than not though, the damage is already done. The unfortunate reality is that despite a myriad of case studies showing how quickly a company’s reputation can be tainted, most companies are still doing an inadequate job of managing their reputations.

Organisations are forced to take a reactive approach to reputation management time and again. Companies must become more diligent when it comes to managing their reputations. This task cannot be left to head office or top management.

In fact, any organization has a responsibility to provide social media training for the entire staff. This will help to protect an organization’s public image. This means that those responsible for the management of a company’s reputation should be thinking of how they are going to keep their entire organization in good standing. In our profession, when we consult with the Board or the Executive Committee of any company about reputation management, we often have to punt the importance of including every staff member in social media training. One wrong turn by an employee can put an entire organization into disrepute.

A dedicated Public Relations firm is also essential to protecting any organization from a reputation crisis. PR firms have the tools and the expertise to scour the internet and help a company find potential reputational crises and react accordingly. Indeed, it is a full-time job managing the media and social media environment, with content being published 24/7.

Proactively managing your reputation allows you to cultivate positive reviews and content, instead of only focusing on combating negative information. This also allows an organization to prevent a containable event spiralling out of control.

In fact, managing your company’s reputation should not be left to the last minute when a crisis befalls you. Preparation is crucial to preventing major pitfalls. Even if a company has a relatively strong reputation, it is advisable to stay in the driver’s seat and proactively maintain that relationship.

While I concede that over the years, the challenges that come with the digital era are understood better, there is still significant room for improvement in relation to how corporates understand the digital environment. Remember, you do not have to tackle these issues alone, as reputation mavericks we live to impart knowledge, anticipate these kinds of issues and provide tailormade solutions.

Dare I say, we all need to be prepared or lose it all in a heartbeat.

Media Torque and Events and Plus 94 Research will soon be publishing results of the 2021 Top Companies South Africa reputation research. What does it mean to be a top company and why does it matter? Reputation is the single most important asset any company can boast of having. It is the reason for engaging, buying and coming back for more. Consumers do not just buy your products, but also a piece of your reputation. Many companies have shown that they are more concerned about their public image and not necessarily their reputation. Image is an association that can be changed relatively easily and correlates quite strongly with the company’s identity.

Reputation is the company’s very being, its soul and heartbeat. It is far easier and cheaper to buy and sell an image – but not reputation. It’s the reason that the Top Companies of South Africa are announced annually. The aim is to raise the bar and to increase our understanding of the entire space of reputation management.

There are several misconceptions about reputation management. The most common one is that reputation management is about firefighting, or cleansing what is said, heard or thought of about the business. A strong reputation is not about how powerful a business is when it comes to crisis management instead, it is more about a crisis situation requiring less effort and resources to diffuse because of an already existing reputation equity. Understanding reputation matters because a society with reputable companies is more likely to be progressive, based on some sort of fair compact it has with ordinary people.

Reputation management should recognise that a company exists as part of the broader society and that it needs to grow, survive and thrive within that environment while that environment does the same. To that extent, reputation management should be about managing societal expectations of business, both overt and covert.

That society is not directly appealing to companies to help does not imply that such messages are not being conveyed, or that there are no expectations from the business. In characterising current efforts towards corporate social investments, it can be seen that these efforts are largely termed enlightened self-interest, an excuse to get something back from the taxman or to feel like the business is doing something to assist with problems, but without necessarily getting to the heart of those things that if they had been invested in, would radically transform that society.

Things like crime and employment of the jobless, poverty, development of infrastructure to support those who are underprivileged in different parts of the country, safety and health products, rural development, cost-effective products, investment in policing and policing efforts.

It is true that currently, corporate culture would hold the view that satisfying shareholders is a primary preoccupation of the business. In this line of thinking, the public is not viewed as a shareholder, notwithstanding the business’s dependency on the public for survival.

Such a one-sided approach can be associated directly with poor performance when it comes to research, societal relevance and innovation. While the road to profits is seen by many companies as the shortest distance between two points, it does represent a narrowness of focus that results in a lack of respect for businesses. A business that is empathetic is more likely to be creative and disruptive in its product offerings and to also trigger consumer empathy.

The 2021 TCSA report, to be released during the month of October 2021, will delve into the drivers of the most reputable companies in South Africa.

As companies grapple with what the future will look like, several issues come to mind. Some of these include: how to sustain the brand when markets and industries are re-organised, whether or not to develop new products that align with the “new reality”; how to deal with the competitive landscape when consumers’ spending habits are fundamentally altered, finally, how brands can address consumer concerns about health, wellness, community – as well as personal fulfilment.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the playing field and the way in which businesses operate, how messages are packaged and products and services promoted to attract consumers. The study focuses on these changes, and the trends that have emerged resulting from the pandemic. It will explore some of the significant changes in reputation, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Plus 94 Research used quantitative research methodologies to conduct the survey. Further open-ended questions were included to explore insights that are not easily quantified. The research was conducted face-to-face with the respondents using Tablet-Assisted Personal Interviewing (TAPI).

As a general public survey, it was vital that the businesses chosen for consideration were easily recognisable by the respondents. The 2021 instalment of the survey analysed 229 top companies. The survey utilised eight crucial reputation pillars for its assessment. The pillars were weighted according to their potential impact on reputation to provide each company with a score out of 100.

In addition, the TCSA uses an extensive list of reputational pillars to assess each company and its reputation drivers. In addition, TCSA provides a ranking of the top companies and actionable insights into the drivers of reputation.

Sifiso Falala, Chief Executive Officer of Plus 94 Research says, “The factors that influence reputational risk have evolved, with the impact of Covid-19 shaking up perspectives on what really matters. Consumer behaviour and consumption models due to the pandemic are likely to be far longer-term than we might have initially thought. The big question has become, how can brands respond to these changes to become more agile and impactful, and drive real differentiation?”

For brands, this means dealing with altered market conditions because of the economic impact on all industry sectors; facing increased competition given consumers’ and social “new normal”, addressing sustainability, evaluating operational options and challenges presented by strategic planning in an environment of uncertainty; analysing brand reputation issues, identifying potential new products and services needed to meet consumers’ needs and expectations;  focusing on creative and strategic marketing campaigns and targeted advertising, and using social media effectively.

The insights provided by TCSA can enable businesses to successfully benchmark their reputation against their competitors.

Nthabiseng Mokake, MD Media Torque & Events says: “The focus for brands needs to be less about how they can stand out and more fundamentally about how they can be of use to consumers, especially during these testing times and beyond.”

Plus 94 Research will host a special webinar to provide insights on the methodology implemented in the survey on 31 August 2021 on Zoom from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. The winners of the 2021  Top Companies South Africa (TCSA) will be announced at an online awards event on October the 14th.

To join the webinar please click on the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83605958370

For more information about TCSA contact Oscar Tshifure, Research Director at Plus 94 Research: email: oscar@plus94.co.za or +27 11 327 2020 and Malcom Ncube for advertising in the winners supplement and  customised research report: email: malcomn@mediatorque.co.za

Barely four years after becoming a stand-alone company in this country, HEINEKEN South Africa

leads the alcoholic beverages sector in this year’s Top Companies South Africa Reputation Index rankings. Corporate Affairs Director, Millicent Maroga, isn’t surprised but is proud to be so highly rated in the single biggest measure of corporate reputation in South Africa. “Despite our relative newness, South Africans have bought our popular beer brands for more than two decades.

We are brand builders and the Heineken® brand defines and unites us while our many local, regional and global brands make our portfolio diverse and unique.” True to its identity of being a global family business, she adds, “We not only drive value for our shareholders but also prioritise our stakeholders through a passion for quality and enjoyment of life as well as respect for people and the planet.

It’s a tradition that dates back to 1873 when Gerard Heineken was so proud of the quality of his new lager beer, he put his family name on the bottles that left his Amsterdam brewery. Now, 146 years and 192 countries later, the Heineken® name is known and respected worldwide.”

The South African operation, a joint venture between HEINEKEN N.V. and Namibia Breweries, is a key player in the beer and cider industry. Its extensive portfolio of brands, includes Heineken®, Sol, Desperados, Windhoek, Miller Genuine Draft, Amstel, Strongbow, Soweto Gold, and Tafel.

Maroga assures that, as a priority in the HEINEKEN universe, South Africa is earmarked as a growth country. She adds “As such, our expansion project of some R1,4 billion into the Sedibeng brewery will ensure that the bulk of our products consumed in the country are produced here to the great benefit of the national economy, with the obvious advantage of job creation.” Elaborating on the company’s

Brewing A Better World sustainability agenda, she says it is designed to create genuine economic opportunities for the business and its stakeholders as they face ever changing industry challenges. “We focus on six areas where we and our stakeholders believe we can make the biggest difference: protecting water resources, reducing CO¥ emissions, sourcing sustainably, advocating responsible consumption, promoting health and safety, and growing with communities. And, because our business brings us in close contact with millions of consumers and stakeholders daily, we are uniquely placed to help communities prosper.

“The approach to sustainability covers the entire value chain ‘From Barley to Bar’ and our clear ambitions in our 2020 commitments are underpinned by milestones created to meet them. We are, for example, in the process of building a solar power plant to allow us to use clean energy for production, and plans are afoot to build capacity for a water reclamation plant to treat our wastewater foreuse in non-brewing activities.”

More than 10 percent of Heineken®’s marketing budget is invested in its responsible consumption campaigns and the company collaborates with various industry organisations, such as Aware.org, and regional liquor authorities, to address harm reduction within the industry.

With moderate consumption on the rise, HEINEKEN sees the importance of giving consumers options by increasing its offering in the Low & No alcohol category. “We are committed to making moderate consumption aspirational through our brand and the recently introduced Heineken® 0.0 expands the opportunity of various drinking occasions and the chance for beer lovers to enjoy their favourite brew at any time of day.”

Heineken® has been an official Rugby World Cup partner for 20 years but Maroga concedes that the Springbok win made this year very special for the SA company. “We always aim to create memorable experiences and bring enjoyment through all our sponsorship platforms and Rugby World Cup 2019 was no different.

We had the unique opportunity to bring people together, demonstrating that everyone can enjoy the spirit of the tournament, whether they know the rules of the game or not.

Importantly, when we became aware that the SABC did not have the funds to secure broadcasting rights, we collaborated with our public broadcaster to make it possible for all South Africans to watch that historic final match. What a pleasure to play a meaningful part in the nation’s excitement and joy.