Rising uncertainty reshapes reputational risk, but organisations hold firm on controls, says Willis

LONDON, April 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New research from Willis, a WTW business, (NASDAQ: WTW), points to growing uncertainty around reputational risk among corporate decision-makers, driven by global instability and increasing politicisation of issues such as ESG.

Findings from the 2026 Reputational Risk Readiness Survey Report indicate that organisations are less confident about how customers and other stakeholders perceive them and are increasingly unclear about their most significant reputational vulnerabilities. At the same time, appetite for taking on additional reputational risk has fallen sharply, even where potential rewards are high.

However, this uncertainty may have been a spur to action as efforts to strengthen risk controls have gathered momentum since the last survey. Organisations are increasing engagement with stakeholders, embedding reputation more firmly into enterprise risk management, and showing greater interest in modelling the financial impact of negative reputational events.

Key findings include:

• Only 37% of respondents were aware of the key hotspots of negative sentiment around their brand, compared to 56% in 2024, revealing a worrying gap in current knowledge.
• 56% said they had a low appetite for reputation risk, compared to 36% in the previous survey, indicating a loss of interest in risky activities and associations.
• 67% ranked cyber-attacks among their greatest reputational concerns, as the reputational damage from AI-enabled cybercrime continues to grow.
• 57% named social harms such as labour exploitation in the supply chain as a top reputation risk, which may reflect weaker oversight of labour standards as companies relocate their supply lines.
• 82% put reputation among the top three or top five risks on their risk registers, indicating that organisations take threats to their brand and reputation seriously.
• Over 30% of organisations said they have strong capabilities to model the financial impact of reputational damage (up from 11% in 2024) suggesting that companies increasingly treat reputation as a measurable financial risk. In response, the insurance industry is developing more advanced tools, using actuarial methods to estimate how often reputation risks occur and how severe their impact could be, similar to models used for natural disasters.

David Bennett, Head of Reputational Risk Management from the Willis Direct & Facultative team, said: “In uncertain and turbulent times, organisations who take a surface approach to reputation as a function of communication and PR may be found wanting. Those that integrate it into their business processes and invest in building trust with stakeholders and customers every day, are better placed to build the bases they need to avoid credibility hiccups when a crisis hits.

A good starting point is developing a deeper understanding of the specific reputation risks that affect a business. Identifying and monitoring these key vulnerabilities can help organisations direct efforts and resources to neutralise threats and turn perceptions around. A risk-based approach supports better decision-making about how to manage reputation and prepare for the financial and operational impacts of an adverse publicity event.”

“With the right tools and partners, modelling the frequency and severity of likely sources of reputational threats is possible. The majority of reputational crises emerge from issues that are already known and can be anticipated and managed. Organisations should focus on building their understanding of these underlying risks through sentiment tracking and risk intelligence, while developing their crisis preparedness and tightening broad level accountability.”

About the survey

• Participants: 500 global senior executives responsible for risk strategy across their organisation, including CEOs, directors of finance, risk, marketing, HR, and communications
• Sectors: 100 companies each in retail, manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, transportation, and non- government organisations (NGOs) and charities
• Location: 20 countries in Europe and Middle East, Asia Pacific, North and South America and Africa
• Turnover: 37% $1bn-$2.5bn; 26% $2.5bn-$5bn; 36% over $5 billion

The report can be downloaded here.

About WTW

At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.

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Media contacts

Jo Barrett
jo.barrett@wtwco.com / +44 7940703911

Lauren David:
Lauren.david@wtwco.com / +44 7385947619

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