Rachel O'Connor
14 Nov 2025
ESG has become a familiar framework for businesses striving to operate responsibly — and not before time. Our planet, our communities and our future workforce increasingly expect organisations to act with care, integrity, and long-term thinking.
After more than 25 years working in communications and reputation across global brands, SMEs, charities, and purpose-led teams, I’ve learned something simple but often overlooked:
Reputation — the human response to how a business behaves — is the thread that holds all of this together.
ESG outlines what a business does. Reputation reflects what people believe, think, and crucially feel about it.
And those feelings are shaped by human qualities: relationships, action, fallibility, empathy, consistency, and instinct. Which is why I believe it’s time we started to talk about ESGR — a more honest way to understand how organisations build (or erode) trust in a complex world.
ESG alone isn’t enough – and the evidence shows it
A growing body of research supports what many in communications intuitively know:
PWC found ESG has become a major driver of reputation management.
University College London showed ESG-related reputation events (e.g. social backlash) can lead to an average 0.29% drop in asset returns.
Stakeholder research consistently shows ESG builds loyalty and long-term brand value — but only when people trust the intent behind it.
Because people build reputation — their expectations, lived experiences, values and tolerance for imperfection.
This is why the “R” matters.
Reputation is the human reflection of ESG
When I advise organisations through change, crisis, or growth, I describe reputation as the space where actions meet human perception.
And human perception is messy, emotional, hopeful, sceptical and influenced by how we show up when things go wrong.
Things do go wrong — because organisations are made of people. Fallibility isn’t a flaw. It’s human.
What really matters is:
how openly you acknowledge challenges
how consistently you act afterwards
how you treat people along the way
and whether stakeholders believe you’re genuinely trying to do better
Reputation isn't about perfection. It’s about humanity, accountability, intent, and learning.
Organisations that weave those qualities through their ESG commitments are the ones people trust most.
Another layer: Your impact on the planet
Living and working in Cornwall, where purpose and environmental leadership are strong, I see the same truth: Business does not operate in a vacuum. It operates in nature.
Your decisions affect:
the land you work on
the water you use
the communities you rely on
the natural systems that sustain life
Environmental impact isn’t only data or reporting. It’s deeply human and deeply emotional — particularly as climate change becomes a lived reality for all of us.
Integrating Reputation into ESG means recognising that trust is shaped by how we care for the places we belong to. Businesses that acknowledge their planetary impact, even imperfectly, are often seen as more authentic and more credible.
Five Reputation levers every ESG strategy needs
1. Narrative & Storytelling
Explain the why, not just the what. People respond to meaning and humility.
2. Engage Your People Authentically
Your teams must understand and feel part of your commitments. Trust grows when leaders communicate clearly and acknowledge the work still ahead.
3. Share the Messy Middle
Reputation grows through truth, progress, and transparency — not polished perfection. Imperfect honesty builds trust.
4. Prepare for Scrutiny
Thoughtful issue-readiness (roles, messaging, risk assessment) ensures you can respond with calmness and clarity when challenges arise.
5. Communicate Consistently
How you show up over time — in decisions, relationships, and environmental footprint — shapes trust. Consistency builds reputation; silence erodes it.
Humanity isn’t a soft skill — It’s a Reputation strategy
In a world of fast judgement, polarisation and information overload, leaders sometimes fear vulnerability or nuance. Yet humanity is one of the most powerful tools we have.
People trust leaders who:
listen
acknowledge complexity
admit when things haven’t landed well
communicate with empathy
understand their impact on people and planet
show they’re learning, not lecturing
ESGR makes space for that. It recognises that reputation is shaped by human behaviour, not corporate gloss.
Three Questions to begin your ESGR journey
Do our actions align with our words?
Do our people and stakeholders trust the sincerity of our commitments?
Would our environmental and community impact stand up to the scrutiny of those most affected?
If the answer to any is “I’m not sure,” that’s where the work begins.
Final thought: ESGR is about how you choose to show up
After decades in communications, one truth remains constant:
Your reputation is the result of how you behave, how you communicate, and how you treat people and the planet.
ESGR is simply a more human, more responsible, and more truthful way of looking at that.
If your organisation is navigating ESGR, purpose, sustainability, or reputation — or you want a clearer, values-aligned way to communicate your impact — I’m always happy to help.