10 April, 2026

Reputation has long been recognised as important to business success, but its link to market value has been harder to pin down. New research from our partners at Echo Research addresses this and estimates that £841bn of UK market value is driven by corporate reputation. That is more than a quarter of the FTSE 350’s total market capitalisation.

Echo Research’s methodology measures reputation by bringing together a range of intangible fundamentals into a single metric that captures how investors assess risk and reward. The research identifies nine key dimensions of corporate reputation that affect market value, many of which are the fundamentals of a well‑run, responsible business such as quality of products and services, quality of management, people management and innovation.

The research also highlights the impact of specific ESG performance on value, showing it contributes £66bn of shareholder value. DEI practices, effective corporate governance and reducing environmental impact emerge as material drivers of value. This reflects how investors associate responsible environmental and social practices with resilience, credibility and long‑term performance. Reputation is therefore multi‑dimensional, requiring sustained performance across financial, operational, social and strategic areas.

Reputation is intrinsically linked to business responsibility and sustainability, because it is shaped by both what a business does and the way it behaves. By codifying the link between responsible business practice and financial performance, research like this helps reinforce the case for seeing sustainability as a core driver of long‑term success.

By Tulika Agarwal