In a market where blue oceans are increasingly scarce, the true differentiator lies in how a brand builds and communicates its reputation.
That is, innovation alone is no longer enough to fuel a process of exponential growth and market attention, as we’ve seen in the last decade. In a scenario where every startup, no matter how disruptive, faces fierce competition, consumer skepticism also grows—who now struggle to differentiate the ‘new’ from what has truly come to stay and solve their pain points.
This is where the decisive factor comes in. Today, what separates businesses that survive from those that scale is reputation. And when I talk about reputation, I’m not just referring to the ability to communicate the impact of the value proposition, but also the skill to ‘converse’ with the audience and manage the market narrative around the brand. After all, a company’s reputation is not just a reflection of what it says about itself, but of the genuine perception it builds in the market.
To give you an idea of the scale of this impact, the 2nd National Survey on the Impact of Public Relations on the Innovation Market—The Investor’s Perspective, developed by MOTIM, reveals that 91% of investors agree that brands that present their value proposition effectively significantly increase the likelihood of receiving financial backing.
This means that, today, having a disruptive solution or cutting-edge technology is no longer enough. If the brand doesn’t know how to build connection and trust, it has already lost the race. And here, I’m not talking about catchy slogans or fleeting marketing campaigns. I’m referring to consistency, authenticity, and frequency. Reputation is built every day, and every act is an opportunity to reinforce or undermine that trust.
Reputation-Led Growth: a new approach takes the stage
It is in this context that the Reputation-Led Growth mindset emerges: a strategic approach that integrates the company’s unique assets—its story, its values, what the brand stands for, and how the leader embodies all of this in an ongoing reputation management process.
The concept not only helps broaden reach but also creates stronger bonds with customers, partners, and investors, educates the market, accelerates the sales process, and attracts the best consumers, keeping them close and engaged. More than that, it is essential to preserve the company’s image, protecting it from market fluctuations and competitive pressures.
Unsurprisingly, using MOTIM’s research numbers again as a basis, nine out of ten investors consider the founders’ personal brand a deciding factor in funding decisions. Moreover, over a third of venture capital professionals place the positioning and story of founders as the main strengths of a brand when seeking investment.
These figures show that founders and leaders have become more than just business managers. They must be the guardians of the brand’s reputation. Those who still believe building a strong business is optional will realize too late that the market is no longer driven solely by good ideas. We are in an era where real value lies in the trust and credibility a brand conveys—and in how it remains relevant in consumers’ daily lives in the long term.
The time for improvisation is over. If reputation is growing at the same rate as the business, we’ve entered the era of Reputation-Led Growth. Here, the only sustainable advantage is being remembered—and being remembered for the right reasons.
*Silas Colombo is CCO and founder of MOTIM. With a degree in Journalism and an MBA in Communication and Marketing Strategies from Cornell University, he has been responsible for developing communication campaigns for brands such as Itaú, Volkswagen, and the Organizing Committee of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. At the accelerator, he is Director of Communication and has produced PR strategies for over 200 brands in innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship, from startups to multinationals.
