In July’s ‘Reputation Report’, our experts share their insights on the reputation management lessons that can be taken from this month’s highest-profile news stories. We look at Gareth Southgate and his legacy as manager of the England men’s team. We also analyse the communications lessons that can be taken from Sir Keir Starmer’s first month in power, as well as reviewing BrewDog’s brave decision to end its carbon credits programme.
Gareth Southgate’s legacy as England boss
Tim Jotischky, former Daily Mail Sports Editor
Gareth Southgate transformed the culture of the England men’s football team for the better during his eight years in charge and if he was a business leader, rather than a football manager, that would be enough to cement his legacy.
But football is a uniquely demanding environment and the fact that he led England to successive Euro finals and a World Cup semi-final is not enough to appease some critics, who claim his conservatism sold short the most talented squad in a generation.
So, how should we judge his reputation – has it been enhanced or diminished after another agonising last-ditch defeat led to his resignation?
It’s probably fair to say that amongst occasional fans, who only follow the national tournaments during big tournaments, his reputation is unsullied whereas die-hard supporters are more critical of his perceived shortcomings.
Reputation is formed by a combination of character and capability, as the academic David Waller has observed. No one can doubt Southgate’s character and that is what casual fans associated most with the England manager. But his tactical capability was open to question and that mattered more to the core fan base.
If we think of Southgate as a brand, he could be John Lewis: appreciated for his values, perceived as honest and decent, something of a national treasure. But John Lewis lost its way when it was unable to compete with new competition, online and on the High Street, and its capability was called into question.
Conversely, a fast fashion brand such as Shein has built a strong market position by delivering ultra-affordable clothing, but its character has been called into question, with controversies over alleged labour law violations, IP infringement and environmental impact.
Ultimately, Southgate’s legacy will be dictated by the performance of his successor. He took over the job when the England team was at its lowest ebb; unless the next England manager wins the men’s team its first trophy since 1966, his reputation is likely to grow with the benefit of hindsight and long-term perspective.
Sir Keir Starmer’s first month in power
Robin Brant, former BBC News Political Correspondent
The immediate aftermath of a stunning victory is not usually the time in which you need to enhance your reputation. It’s there for all to see. Basking in the glory. A big, shiny proven asset. But ‘ruthless Keir Starmer’ has done just that.
No olive branch for the handful of rebels who went against their leader and their government in the first few days of this administration. Seven on his own side refused to support the Prime Minister’s decision to keep a two-child cap on benefits for most parents. They walked through the No lobby in a vote in the Commons. The most demonstrative of rebellions. Seeking to set the tone very early on, Keir Starmer came down hard. They’re suspended. No longer Labour MPs for the next six months. The man with a de facto majority hovering around 167 can afford to lose a few on his side. But it was extreme. And so soon. Parliament’s barely sat for a week. But that’s exactly the point. Government’s face rebellions, they have to compromise.
In the end, as LBJ said, leaders like Keir Starmer ‘must learn to count’ i.e. get the votes to add up when you want to pass laws. But as the government seeks to set a narrative of a bad economic inheritance, and prove it is credible on the finances, sticking to the cap – which it says is unaffordable to lift – is a key part of the politics.
As is continuing the battle with the hard left. They were vanquished in the post-Corbyn world. Ruthless Keir is reminding some on his own side that winning the election doesn’t change that, not one little bit.
But, and there is a big but here, the two-child cap on benefits for most parents is something many link directly to rising levels of poverty in the UK. (Remember we are still one of the richest countries in the world). It’s a policy that many regard as very harsh and harmful. There will be more rebellions and this isn’t the last we’ve heard of it.
BrewDog and the end of its carbon credits programme
Mimi Brown, Director of Corporate
After three years of holding a ‘carbon negative brewery’ status, Brewdog has made the decision to let this status lapse, and exit the carbon credits market. This latest move has been slated as another crisis to hit the brewer and bar operator, which has faced repeated and very public displays of disconnect between its image and reality. One headline stated that ‘the company has ‘given up’ on being ethical’.
But does this affect consumer perception? Are critics weaponising every failure?
The bigger issue seems to be facing carbon credits. The booming market is increasingly under fire for low carbon reduction returns, greenwashing, and is critiqued as fundamentally flawed: all of which were called out directly in Brewdog’s recent announcement. Just this week the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has labelled carbon credits as ‘ineffective in delivering their intended mitigation outcomes’ – tree planting and forestry projects as a key component of this. This crisis of efficacy and trust from the industry and media could spell bigger problems for reaching carbon reduction goals.
Brewdog’s own government-funded and controversial forest failed with half the saplings dying off. For (an already long term) carbon reduction payoff, carbon credits are hard to make work as an offsetting approach, and scepticism is mounting.
We’ve seen similar environmental ‘rollbacks’ with the likes of Unilever shareholders pushing a strategy to focus on financial gains versus social or environmental ones. We’ll likely see many more organisations face more than just a crisis of public image as they face a new wave of scrutiny and overhaul in offsetting, reducing or ignoring their carbon emissions amid economic pressure and carbon offsetting programmes failing to deliver.