Dentsu Inc. PR Releases Corporate Appeal Survey Report Vol. 2 Currently, the top corporate activity failing to meet consumer expectations is "Risk & Governance Management."

On July 19, Dentsu Inc. Public Relations' Corporate Communications Strategy Institute released Report Vol.2 of its second "Corporate Appeal Survey" (Vol. 1 is here ).

The survey aimed to understand what corporate activities (facts) consumers find appealing and how that appeal is communicated. It analyzed corporate appeal based on three elements: "Human Appeal," "Corporate Appeal," and "Product Appeal." The survey targeted 10,000 men and women aged 20 to 60, covering 150 companies across 10 industries. This survey was first conducted in March last year, with the second round taking place this March . Report Vol.2 analyzes aspects of the findings, including the gap between the appeal consumers currently perceive and the appeal they expect companies to demonstrate in the future.

To understand "corporate activities currently failing to meet consumer expectations," consumers who rated companies as attractive were first asked about the specific aspects they hoped to see enhanced in the future (Graph 1).

<Graph 1> Ranking of Activities Consumers Expect from Companies in the Future

Ranked first was "solution capabilities," such as "providing products and services with superior functionality and effectiveness." Second was "leadership," including "the appeal of management, presentation of growth strategies, and industry leadership." Third was "safety, after-sales service capabilities, and complaint handling."

We then calculated the gap between "attractiveness expected in the future" and "attractiveness currently perceived" to reveal the activities where attractive companies are currently failing to meet consumer expectations, shown in Graph 2.

<Graph 2> Ranking of Corporate Activities Currently Falling Short of Consumer Expectations

The top item with the largest gap was "Risk & Governance Management." This indicates that activities such as "being well-prepared for risks" and "maintaining sound and transparent management" currently fail to meet expectations. While "Risk & Governance" is often perceived as "defensive corporate activities," given the high level of consumer interest, actively pursuing these areas is considered essential to transform them into "offensive corporate activities."

Ranked second was "Cost Performance," encompassing "offering products/services at low prices" and "providing high-value-added products/services." Third was "Market Dialogue & Timely Disclosure Capability," including "a commitment to promptly disclose issues when they arise" and "prioritizing communication with stakeholders like investors."

By actively engaging in activities that meet these consumer expectations, companies can grow into more attractive entities.