In a market where blue oceans are increasingly scarce, the real difference lies in how a brand builds and communicates its reputation.
In other words, innovation alone is no longer sufficient to fuel an exponential growth process and attract market attention, as we saw in the last decade. In a scenario where every startup, no matter how disruptive, faces fierce competition, consumer skepticism also grows — now having difficulty distinguishing the "new" from what truly came to stay and solve their problems.
That's 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 am not only referring to the ability to communicate the impact of the value proposition but also to the skill of "conversing" with the audience and managing 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 get an idea of the size of this impact, the 2nd National Survey on the Impact of Public Relations on the Innovation Market – The Investor's View, developed by MOTIM, reveals that 91% of investors agree that brands that present their value proposition efficiently significantly increase the likelihood of receiving a financial injection.
This means that, currently, 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 am not talking about catchy slogans or fleeting marketing campaigns. I am referring to consistency, authenticity, and frequency. Reputation is built every day, and each act is an opportunity to reinforce or undermine that trust.
Reputation-Led Growth: A New Approach Enters the Scene
It is in this context that the Reputation-Led Growth mindset emerges: a strategic approach that integrates the company's unique assets — its history, values, what the brand represents, and how the leader embodies all of this in a continuous reputation management process.
The concept not only helps to expand reach but also creates stronger bonds with clients, partners, and investors, educates the market, accelerates the sales process, and attracts the best consumers, keeping them close and interested. More than that, it is essential to preserve the company's image, protecting it from market ups and downs and the fury of the competition.
Not surprisingly, again using data from MOTIM's research as a basis, nine out of ten investors consider the founders' personal brand a decisive factor in the investment decision. Furthermore, more than one-third of venture capital professionals consider the positioning and history of the founders as the main strengths of a brand in the pursuit of investment.
These data show that founders and leaders have become more than just business managers. They should be the guardians of the brand's reputation. Anyone who still believes that 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 of improvisation is behind. If reputation is growing at the same pace as the business, we have 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 ofI AM TROUBLINGGraduated in Journalism with an MBA in Communication and Marketing Strategies from Cornell University, he was responsible for developing communication campaigns for brands such as Itaú, Volkswagen, and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Organizing Committee. At the accelerator, he is the communications director and has developed public relations strategies for over 200 brands in innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship, ranging from startups to multinationals.
