Reputation Advisors International

What Reputation Advisors International does

Reputation Advisors International (RAI) is a not-for-profit business association registered in New York (45 Broadway, Suite 3140) and originally founded in 2015 in Zurich as the Crisis Protection Network before rebranding in October 2023. The organization is a curated worldwide network of approximately 15-18 independent senior communications professionals operating across 18 cities in 14 countries on four continents, including locations such as New York, London, Frankfurt, Munich, Geneva, Zurich, Brussels, Oslo, Toronto, Mexico City, Brasília, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Los Angeles, and Chiasso. Member firms are independently owned and operated; RAI functions as the umbrella association for idea exchange, cross-jurisdictional referral, and shared branding rather than as a unified operating consultancy.

RAI's core offering is senior-level advisory delivered through its member firms in four interconnected practice areas: reputation management consulting (strategic positioning and ongoing brand maintenance), crisis communications planning and response (simulations, media training, and real-time support), litigation communications (trial preparation and media relations for legal proceedings), and legal and regulatory communications (strategy for compliance and enforcement environments). The network also produces thought leadership including member-authored blog posts on current crises, white papers such as "Navigating Reputational Harm," and topical webinars.

The business model is subscription-recurring membership dues paid by senior principals of independent communications firms who gain access to the global referral network, regular peer meetings, and collaborative content. RAI does not own a software platform, has no disclosed technology stack, and bills no fees directly to end clients; consulting revenue accrues to the member firms. Go-to-market relies on direct enterprise engagement by member firms, content marketing via blog and news sections, webinars, and white papers, supported by collegial referrals across the network. The governance structure includes President James F. Haggerty and a board drawn from senior members in the U.S., U.K., Norway, and Belgium.

Name

Reputation Advisors International

Legal name

Reputation Advisors International Network Inc.

Website

https://reputationadvisors.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Reputation Advisors International is a not-for-profit association of approximately 15-18 independent senior communications professionals across 18 cities in 14 countries, providing reputation management, crisis communications, litigation communications, and regulatory advisory services to corporations, institutions, and high-net-worth individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Communications Consulting

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Reputation Management & Executive Thought Leadership (MPAAADAK)

Keywords

• Reputation management consulting
• Crisis communications services
• Litigation communications advisory
• Strategic communications counsel
• Regulatory communications advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: As a not-for-profit business network, Reputation Advisors International operates through membership fees from senior communications professionals who join the association. Members include leaders of independent strategic communications firms worldwide who pay for network access, collaboration opportunities, and referral benefits.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Reputation Advisors International is a worldwide not-for-profit association of senior-level independent communications professionals providing high-stakes reputation management, crisis planning and response, litigation communications, and legal/regulatory communications advisory services. Members operate as independent boutique firms but collaborate and refer clients across 18 cities in 14 countries, enabling seamless global counsel for corporations, institutions, and individuals facing reputational threats. Services are delivered on a consulting basis; revenue is generated through membership fees from the senior practitioners in the network.

Product overview

Reputation Advisors International is a worldwide association of senior communications professionals offering a suite of consulting services centered on reputation management, crisis communications, and litigation support. The network comprises independent member firms across 18 cities in 14 countries, providing services including reputation management consulting, crisis planning and response, litigation communications, and legal/regulatory communications advisory. The organization also produces thought leadership content such as white papers on reputational harm. Rather than a unified software platform, the offering is a curated network of seasoned professionals who collaborate to deliver comprehensive communications counsel to corporations, institutions, and individuals facing high-stakes reputation challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Rosenberg Strategic CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 November 2023Rainer Westermann, a former President of Reputation Advisors International (formerly Crisis Protection Network), joined the Advisory Board of Rosenberg Strategic Communications GmbH & Co. KG in Frankfurt. Both firms manage mission-critical communications in special situations and intend to expand cooperation for the benefit of shared clients. Dirk T. Schmitt serves as Managing Partner of Rosenberg SC.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IPREX: Global network of independent communications agencies that compete alongside local-market firms on crisis, corporate reputation and public affairs assignments — same network-based value proposition as RAI.
• PROI Worldwide: Global partnership of independent communications and marketing agencies operating across multiple regions — the closest structural analog to RAI's network-of-firms model.
• Worldwide Partners Inc. Network of independent marketing and communications agencies across the Americas, EMEA and APAC — competes for the same multi-market reputation and crisis engagements.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: World's largest PR firm with global crisis and reputation practices; competes for the same enterprise-level high-stakes reputation and crisis assignments from major multinationals.
• Burson (formerly BCW): Top-five global communications agency with strong crisis and corporate-reputation capabilities; former employers of multiple RAI board members (Burson-Marsteller UK, Germany, EMEA).
• Fleishman-Hillard: Global, top-tier PR firm with a deep crisis and reputation management practice; employs several RAI members' former colleagues (including past leaders) and competes for the same enterprise crisis mandates.
• FTI Consulting (Strategic Communications): Consulting firm with a dedicated Strategic Communications segment covering crisis, litigation and reputation work — a scaled, listed competitor to RAI's special-situations communications offering.
• Brunswick Group: Global advisory firm specializing in critical communications around M&A, crisis and corporate affairs; overlaps directly with RAI's M&A-adjacent litigation communications practice.
• Kekst CNC: Global strategic communications consultancy specializing in crisis, M&A, investor and public affairs; directly competitive with RAI's special-sitations communications mandate.

Emerging players

• Sitrick & Company: U.S.-headquartered litigation communications and special-situations firm with overlapping talent (PRCG Haggerty's Thom Weidlich is a former Sitrick managing director); a focused niche competitor rather than a global network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reputation-advisors-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Reputation Advisors International