Reputation Institute

What Reputation Institute does

Reputation Institute, operating commercially as RepTrak, is a global reputation data and advisory firm founded in 1997 by Dr. Charles Fombrun and Dr. Cees van Riel, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company operates a SaaS platform underpinned by a proprietary methodology that collects survey-based reputation data from approximately 78,000 respondents across 60+ countries, measuring 6,000+ companies to deliver a 360-degree view of corporate reputation. Industry-specific solutions span 30+ verticals including Pharma, Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Insurance, Technology, Energy, Airlines, Automotive, and Manufacturing, with dedicated modules for ESG Intelligence, Brand Intelligence, Compass (decision support), and a new AI-as-a-Stakeholder capability.

The technology architecture centers on the RepTrak platform and proprietary RepTrak methodology, supplemented by thought-leadership content assets such as the annual Global RepTrak 100 ranking and the Ultimate Reputation Guide. Revenue is generated through three streams: platform subscriptions (recurring SaaS), expert advisory services (professional services), and industry-specific solutions. The go-to-market model is enterprise-led, combining direct field sales with content-driven demand generation; pricing is quote-based with no publicly disclosed tiers. Leadership is headed by CEO James Bedard, with founders Fombrun and van Riel remaining as Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively. The company has executed two acquisitions (Mettle Consulting in 2018 and Cormex Research in 2019) and last raised capital in 2013, led by Catalyst Investors.

Name

Reputation Institute

Legal name

Reptrak

Website

https://reputationinstitute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Reputation Institute (RepTrak) is a global reputation data and advisory firm that measures corporate reputation through proprietary survey analytics across 60+ countries and 30+ industries, serving large enterprises with SaaS subscriptions and advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. RepTrak Platform Subscription: SaaS-based reputation management platform subscription providing access to reputation data, analytics, and benchmarking capabilities across industries
2. Advisory Services: Expert advisory services providing strategic insights, actionable recommendations, and consulting for reputation management
3. Industry-Specific Solutions: Tailored reputation intelligence solutions for specific industries including Pharma, Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Technology, and others

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RepTrak provides a SaaS-based corporate reputation measurement and management platform that collects real survey data from approximately 78,000 stakeholders across 60+ countries to deliver a quantifiable, 360-degree view of organizational reputation. The offering combines proprietary data analytics (Compass, Brand Intelligence, ESG Intelligence, AI as a Stakeholder) with expert advisory services to help enterprises measure, protect, and enhance their reputation across 30+ industries.

Product overview

RepTrak (Reputation Institute) offers a unified platform architecture centered on its core RepTrak solution for corporate reputation management, supplemented by specialized modules (Compass, Advisory, Brand Intelligence, ESG Intelligence) and an AI-focused capability (AI as a Stakeholder). The platform collects real survey data from key stakeholders across 60+ countries and measures 6K+ companies, providing a 360-degree view of reputation. Industry-specific solutions (RepTrak for Pharma, Technology, Financial Services, etc.) extend the platform across 30+ sectors, while the Global RepTrak 100 ranking and The Ultimate Reputation Guide serve as complementary resources and benchmarks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RepTrak Reputation Management Platform The core RepTrak platform for corporate reputation management — proven solutions to protect and enhance corporate reputation with comprehensive data on reputation, brand, ESG, and stakeholder perceptions across 60+ countries and 6,000+ measured companies.
• Compass The premier solution for reputation navigation, providing actionable insights that enable enterprise stakeholders to strategically steer their reputation.
• AI as a Stakeholder A specialized reputation intelligence capability that measures and analyzes how AI systems perceive and evaluate companies, treating AI as a distinct stakeholder in the reputation ecosystem.
• RepTrak Advisory Services Expert advisory services delivering strategic insights, actions, and recommendations from industry specialists across markets and industries, helping enterprises translate reputation data into lasting business outcomes.
• Brand Intelligence A platform module that improves alignment between brand and reputation, enabling companies to understand and optimize how stakeholders perceive their brand.
• ESG Intelligence A platform module that measures how stakeholders view a company's ESG performance, providing actionable data on environmental, social, and governance metrics.
• RepTrak for Industry Solutions Industry-specific reputation measurement and analytics solutions covering 30+ industries, including Pharma, Consumer Goods, Food & Beverage, Energy, Airlines, Technology, Financial Services, Insurance, Manufacturing, Automotive, and Transportation.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NielsenIQ: Large-scale consumer and brand measurement incumbent with global panels and data infrastructure that, while broader than reputation specifically, can extend into corporate reputation analytics and represents a credible competitive threat at the enterprise tier.

Emerging players

• Brandwatch (Now part of Cision): AI-powered consumer intelligence and social listening platform that complements or substitutes for parts of RepTrak's reputation measurement, particularly for clients wanting real-time digital sentiment rather than survey-based measurement.
• Morning Consult: Fast-growing research and intelligence firm with a global opinion panel and brand tracking products that increasingly compete with RepTrak in corporate reputation and brand perception measurement, particularly in the U.S. market.
• Sprinklr: Enterprise social media management and reputation platform with AI-driven sentiment analysis that increasingly overlaps with reputation intelligence, especially for CMOs seeking integrated social and reputation analytics in one suite.

Direct peers

• Kantar: Major brand and reputation measurement firm offering BrandZ and related reputation analytics, with comparable longitudinal data assets and global delivery — a closest direct competitor to RepTrak's enterprise reputation intelligence offering.
• Edelman: World's largest PR firm with a Trust Barometer and integrated brand/reputation advisory services that overlap with RepTrak's enterprise reputation advisory practice, often bundled into broader communications retainers.
• Ipsos: Global market research firm with dedicated reputation and stakeholder trust measurement practices that compete directly with RepTrak's survey-based corporate reputation solutions, often bidding against RepTrak for enterprise reputation-tracking mandates.
• Weber Shandwick: Major global PR firm with reputation research and measurement capabilities that overlap with RepTrak's stakeholder perception analytics, frequently pitching enterprise reputation mandates.
• BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe): Global communications agency offering reputation research and advisory services that compete with RepTrak for corporate reputation management engagements, especially within WPP's integrated communications portfolio.

Regional players

• Prophet: Global brand and marketing consultancy with brand relevance measurement capabilities that occasionally compete with RepTrak for corporate reputation advisory engagements, particularly where brand strategy and reputation intersect.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Reputation_Inst
• Facebookfacebook.com/242426829572
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reputation-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reputation Institute