Reputational risks as a part of brand communication interaction with clients and partners

The article discusses the distinct characteristics of the "image" and "reputation" concepts, as the primary components of building a brand. Based on a comparative analysis, the article demonstrates these concepts do not represent identical meanings and carry different semantic connotations. Therefore, it is incorrect to consider them as the synonyms. The article concludes that reputation has a more significant impact on a brand perception than image, and that the organic nature of a brand reputation can create challenges in establishing a positive reputation. It has been determined that communication risks can include reputational threats, which served as the main argument for investigating the impact of the intangible nature of reputation in EdTech companies. Reputation has been found to be of particular importance to clients of online educational institutions, as it is formed for the account of the quality of elements that contribute to building trust in an online school. By understanding the features of distance learning for students, it has been determined that reputation is a major factor in their  decision-making  process  when  purchasing  a  training course. One modern source of reputational risk is implementation of innovative technologies by large companies to promote their growth. However, a single mistake in the communication process with a client could significantly impact the reputation of a company. The possible reputation risks associated with introducing innovative technologies to an online school have been discussed. The assessment of reputation risks allowed defining the most significant threats a school may face.

1. Heding T., Knudtzen Ch.F., Bjerre M. Brand management: mastering research, theory and practice. 3rd ed. Routledge, 2020. 338 p.

2. Culture and online learning: global perspectives and research / I. Jung, C.N. Gunawardena (Eds.). Taylor & Francis, 2023.

3. Boon J. Reputation management as an interplay of structure and agency: a strategic‐relational approach // Regulation & Governance. 2023. Vol. 17, No. 4. Pp. 1114–1130.

4. Kotler F. Marketing management. St. Petersburg : Peter Press, 2006. 800 p.

5. Perera C.H., Nayak R., Nguyen L.T.V. The impact of social media marketing and brand credibility on higher education institutes’ brand equity in emerging countries // Journal of Marketing Communications. 2023. Vol. 29, No. 8. Pp. 770–795.

6. Damodaran A. Strategic risk management: principles and methods / [transl. from English by O.L. Pelyavsky and E.V. Tribushin]. Moscow [et al.] : Williams, 2010. 495 p.

7. Dowling G. Reputation of the company: creation, management and evaluation of effectiveness / [transl. from English by A.V. Kuznetsov]. Moscow : IMAGE-Contact : INFRA-M, 2003. 366 p.

8. Ovanesyan N.M., Lebedev V.A. Specifics of educational services of the university: a marketing approach // Bulletin of the Bryansk State Technical University. 2016. No. 1 (49). Pp. 199–206.

9. Analysis of the educational technology (EdTech) market in Russia in 2020–2024, forecast for 2025– 2029 / BusinesStat. URL: https:// https://businesstat.ru/images/demo/edtech_russia_demo_businesstat.pdf?ysclid=mejrrrcxte96224354 (date of access: 20.06.2025).

10. CEO of Skillbox shared his opinion on how education will change in the next 30 years. URL: https://skillbox.ru/media/education/gendirektor-skillbox-podelilsya-mneniem-o-tom-kak-obrazovanie-izmenitsya-v-blizhayshie-30-let/ (date of access: 16.02.2025).

11. Yekshikeev T.K. Stakeholders of the educational services market // Siberian Trade and Economic Journal. 2009. No. 9. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/steykholdery-rynka-obrazovatelnyh-uslug (date of access: 10.02.2025).

12. Campbell K. 2025 Online reputation management statistics. URL: https://blog.reputationx.com/online-reputation-management-statistics (дата обращения: 20.06.2025);

13. Kumari D., Srivastava R., Gupta P. WhiteHat Jr.: Decoding the marketing journey of an educational technology startup. SAGE Publications : SAGE Business Cases Originals, 2023.