Aon breaks new ground in online risk

Leading risk management firm Aon Australia, has partnered with leading risk assessment firm, SR7 to provide its clients in Australia with social media intelligence, insight, analysis and risk assessment.

Through its annual benchmarking research, Aon Australia has identified Australian organisations are more concerned than ever about the risk of damage to brand image and corporate reputation.

In the past 12 months, there has been an increase in the volume of damaging material emanating from social media and then rapidly migrating to traditional media, with significant financial consequences for the reputation of brands.

Jason Disborough, Chief Commercial Officer of Aon Australia, explains "our partnership with SR7 will provide our clients with a holistic service allowing them to identify, assess and manage the threats of online reputational damage as well as build on opportunities as they arise.

"By auditing and monitoring social media platforms on a 24/7 basis and offering comprehensive analysis and reporting of the data, SR7 provides protection in the form of an early warning system and the intelligence to deal with social media risks."

James Griffin, Head of Monitoring and Audit at SR7, said the alliance with Aon was a natural fit both corporately and culturally, "SR7 clients and potential clients are the same as Aon's so our ability to collaborate to provide a holistic service to organisations is obvious. Both companies are also fiercely dedicated to the common goal of protecting our clients and providing services they can rely on every day.

"Aon Australia has an outstanding track record and history of performance in this area."

Griffin cited the extensive research Aon had commissioned over the past decade on factors affecting brand value and reputation such as Aon's annual Risk Management Benchmarking Survey, adding "these respected studies, clearly demonstrate the focus of business on risks to their brand and reputation, particularly in the age of the viral loop."

Griffin said 'the viral loop' was the opportunity social networks afforded individuals or groups to pass on information at hyper-speed about the goods or services of companies or institutions, concluding âthe ultimate convergence of social media platforms like Facebook with Google has meant that communication now flows freely across the internet. User generated content, blogs, forums and social media all now contribute to the presence of an organisation online, ultimately having an effect on how consumers view your organisation."

The rise of social and interactive media in the leisure industry is a feature in the September/October 2010 issue of Australasian Leisure Management.

For more information go to www.aon.com