Reputation Risks in 2026

We asked Americans and Brits about the 2026 reputation risks brands should prioritize.
Their answers reflected the concerns of our time.

UK consumers expect businesses to plan for cyber-attacks, data breaches, and disinformation to avoid reputational damage in 2026. With AI accelerating digital risks, quick action and communications are not just infrastructure critical but reputation requirements.

For Americans misinformation and economic recession are the 2026 reputation risks they want companies to manage.
For the US, global and long-term concerns have slipped in importance in favour of issues around job and data security in the AI age.

How should brands respond in a reputation crisis? Americans said a crisis plan should include listening to those affected, taking accountability, an explanation, and a sincere apology.

How do you build trust for the long term? To build more trust Americans want brands to prioritize the voices of customers, the CEO, and employees. More than influencers or experts.

Reputation Leaders CEO Laurence Evans had the pleasure of sharing these findings from our upcoming Vantage Point report and more on the panel at the 2026 Corporate Comms Conference. The full Vantage Point Report will become available in March. In the meantime you can preview some of the data below.