João Vitor Xavier, chief executive of CNN Brasil and the radio station Itatiaia, said reputation is the greatest asset a brand or company can hold. He made the comments during a panel discussion at the 2026 edition of Repcom, an event held in São Paulo.
Repcom is promoted by FSB Holding, a Brazilian corporate communications and public affairs consultancy, and brought together business leaders, content creators and specialists to discuss the role influence plays in building credibility and value for brands. Xavier took part in the opening panel, titled "The Business of Trust," which examined how companies turn reputation into growth, customer preference and market value.
Xavier said reputation is the foundation of any business or career. He said a company can have an excellent product and still watch it collapse in a short time if it loses that core pillar of reputation.
He said that over time, major brands whose products became obsolete because of technological change managed to reinvent themselves precisely because they had built a solid reputation beforehand. Technologies change, he said, but brands remain.
The CNN Brasil chief executive stressed that looking after a company's image matters as much as managing its operational and financial sides. He said caring for reputation, for the brand and for image, whether for an individual or a large corporation, is just as important as caring for the product, sales, legal affairs and finances. He warned that many brands still fail to give this strategic area the attention it deserves.
Social media and responsibility
Asked about the role of social media in building brands in an increasingly hyperconnected world, Xavier said the first step to operating safely in that environment is surrounding oneself with qualified professionals.
"The world is driven by people, and good people bring good results," he said. He added that digital transformation requires everyone to prepare to become communicators, since connectivity has narrowed distances and expanded opportunities on an unprecedented scale.
Xavier also said the greater exposure brought by social media raises the responsibility of anyone who cares about their own image. He said communicating well, presenting oneself well to the public and using social media and technology to get closer to people is an advantage and an increasingly important competitive edge.
At the same time, he said that this closeness demands extra care to make sure the image a person or company projects matches reality.
CNN Brasil and public trust
On the role of reputation for media companies, Xavier said he considers CNN Brasil the richest communication company in Brazil, not because of its equipment or infrastructure but because of the trust it has built with the public.
"CNN has just been elected the most trusted communication company in Brazil. That is the greatest asset a communication company can have," he said.
Xavier said the recognition came through an award linked to Oxford University and Reuters, based on the opinions of Brazilians. He said the result reflects the work of professionals committed to sound journalistic practice. "Journalism has value, and value is different from price," he said.
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, based at Oxford University, publishes an annual global report tracking public trust in news organisations in countries including Brazil.
Xavier said that after a period in which disinformation advanced, society began to place greater value on news produced with ethical, technical and moral rigor. He concluded that CNN has value because it has good journalists and has built a relationship of credibility with Brazilian society.
