Reputation and Trust as Tools of Competition: A Lecture by Alina Smyshliak-Boroda at Kyiv Polytechnic University
Last week, marketing students from the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” joined a discussion on reputation and trust as strategic non-price tools of competition with Alina Smyshliak-Boroda, Chief Reputation Officer at Kormotech. Alina spoke to the students as a guest lecturer for future marketing professionals.
During the lecture, they explored reputation as a competitive advantage and a strategic intangible asset for business. They also discussed the difference between brand and reputation, and how a strong reputation increases a company’s value and builds trust among stakeholders.
Special attention was given to real business cases that the students analyzed together with the lecturer.
The discussion also included some challenging questions. Students asked whether there is a point of no return in a reputational crisis, what cancel culture means, and whether a reputational scandal can destroy a brand.
“Marketing and communications are fields where theoretical insights emerge from real-life cases happening right now. That’s why it’s important for students not only to study theory from textbooks but also to engage with practitioners. It’s great that educators understand this and actively contribute to the development of the professional community. And we, as specialists and as a company, are always ready to share our experience and talk about our own cases,” says Alina Smyshliak-Boroda.