Companies that want to acquire greater reputational capital should provide good customer service and earn the trust of stakeholders, according to the biennial Corporate Reputation Survey 2013 commissioned by communications consultancy Reputation Management Associates (RMA). The survey found that good customer service and trust in the company shaped corporate reputations the most. However, corporate social responsibility and shareholder value were ranked low. The survey of 500 members of the public aimed to assess the corporate reputation of Singapore-based firms across five different sectors and examine factors shaping corporate reputation.

Said SMU Associate Professor of Corporate Communication (Practice) Mark Chong, "(The result) really emphasises the importance of the role of internal communication and training in helping employees to be walking and living embodiments of the corporate brand." Social media was ranked low, coming in behind newspapers and advertisements. Expressing surprise at the low ranking of social media when it came to sources of information on these companies, Dr Chong said the methodology of conducting face-to-face surveys may have contributed to this result.