The Ethical Diligence Model™
The Reputational Audit
Understanding risk before it is tested argyll brown.
Decisions define reputation.
Reputational risk rarely fits neatly within legal or commercial boxes.
What appears manageable internally can change rapidly once exposed to public scrutiny.
The Reputational Audit reveals vulnerabilities before risks escalate, helping organisations prepare before events dictate the response.
The Ethical Diligence Model™
A proprietary five-step framework,
grounded in ethical principles and strategic judgement.
01
Discovery
Establish the factual record
02
Exposure
Identify vulnerabilities and pressure points
03
Playout
Anticipate escalation and amplification
04
Priority
Rank risk by likelihood, sensitivity and impact
05
Action
Develop action plan and roadmap
Reputation is no longer shaped solely by what organisations do.
It is shaped by how those actions are interpreted.
The Ethical Diligence Model™ helps leaders identify risks early, understand how they may unfold and act decisively.
What We Assess
Our audit examines the factors that shape reputation and stakeholder confidence.
Leadership
Conduct, judgement and accountability
Governance
Oversight, controls and decision-making
Relationships
Associations, networks and third-party exposure
Communications
Claims, statements and public positioning
Context
Political, regulatory and sector expectations
We look beyond compliance to understand how perceptions form, pressure builds and trust is won or lost.
Principled strategy
for a scrutinised world
Argyll Brown is a specialist communications consultancy bridging law, ethics and reputation.
Our team brings decades of experience at the forefront of British press and politics. We’ve worked with global media organisations, advised public figures in the spotlight and led campaigns that changed the law. We understand how influence is earned, tested and reshaped in real time.
Our counsel is discreet and measured, attuned to how decisions play out beyond the boardroom.
We advise not only on what can be said and done, but on what should be.
Our Leadership
Communications adviser with nearly 30 years’ experience supporting CEOs, public figures and organisations through high-stakes situations.
Barrister and media law specialist with over 20 years’ experience in defamation, privacy, reputation and public affairs.
argyll brown.
- Ethically Grounded.
- Legally Informed.
- Strategically Led.