Reputation Management: Exploring the Commission's Communication on Innovation

Abstract The cultivation and maintenance of reputation through strategic communication are key to the Commission's standing, as reputation constitutes a critical resource for the survival of institutional entities. These considerations are particularly salient in areas related to shared and supporting competences, where demonstrating commitment to core functions and articulating institutional capacities may serve to extend the institution's clout. We explore these dynamics in the context of European Union innovation policy, which offers a relevant case study due to its cross‐cutting impact on economic growth, environmental sustainability and industrial development. We analyse the Commission's speeches from 2000 to 2024, focusing on how reputation concerns may influence how outputs are discussed and presented. Consistent with prior research, we find that audience type influences how the Commission manages its reputation, though this effect varies across domains. Additionally, when reputational threats become more salient, references to transformative innovation intensify. This suggests that, under reputational strain, the Commission may prioritise transformative innovation as a means of addressing reputational threats.