text: Harris Poll: Corporate Reputation Politically Polarized as Companies Wrestle With Taking a Stand for Their Values 
   
   Republicans View Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby Reputations More Favorably 
   
   08:30 AM EST Feb 9, 2017 Rating Share 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Vision and Strong Leadership Increasingly Important To a Company’s Reputational Equity Yet Half of Americans Have Negative Views of Today’s CEOs 
   
   Although Tesla Out of Reach for the Masses, Americans Propel Automaker’s Reputation 
   
   Consumers Cite Intentional Wrongdoing and Dishonesty as Top Reputational Threats 
   
   Amazon Records Highest Reputation Rating in 18 Years of Study; Wells Fargo Experiences Largest Reputation Drop in Harris Poll History 
   
   NEW YORK – As companies wrestle with how to approach a divided U.S. political climate, new research from The Harris Poll shows that Americans view the reputations of some companies as aligned with their individual values. Republicans hold the reputations of Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby - companies that have vocally shared their conservative beliefs - significantly more favorably than Democrats do. Democrats perceive Target’s reputation more positively. 
   
   “In such divided times, as companies scurry to figure out if and how to respond to the issues and commentary of the new administration, we find that corporate reputation perceptions can be just as polarizing,” said Wendy Salomon, vice president of reputation management and public affairs at The Harris Poll. “Companies that have taken very public stands for their beliefs are rewarded by consumers of similar conservative or liberal views, but there is also clear risk among those who feel otherwise.” 
   
   According to Harris Poll’s research, Chick-fil-A earns a higher reputation score among Republicans than any other company, scoring 17.4 points higher among Republicans (“excellent”) than among Democrats (“good”). Hobby Lobby also scores 17 points higher among Republicans (excellent” compared to “fair” among Democrats). Democrats score Target 11.8 points higher (“very good”) compared to Republicans (“fair”). 
   
   “Values play a bigger role than ever before in corporate reputation, and the business significance of a company’s reputation has never been higher,” said Mark J. Penn, managing partner and president of The Stagwell Group LLC, which owns The Harris Poll. “Consumers are keenly interested in how companies engage with the world, and that includes corporate ideals. As the red versus blue duel of politics impacts corporate reputation, we expect to see more alignment along party beliefs.” 
   
   The Harris Poll Reputation Quotient (RQ), which identifies movement, trends and insights in a changing corporate reputation landscape, reveals reputation ratings for the 100 most visible companies in the U.S., as perceived by the general public. A trusted baseline for understanding and managing corporate reputation and identifying new market risks and opportunities, the RQ measures companies’ reputation strength based on the perceptions of more than 23,000 Americans across six corporate reputation dimensions: Social Responsibility, Emotional Appeal, Products and Services, Vision and Leadership, Financial Performance, and Workplace Environment. In this year’s study, 17 of the 100 most visible U.S. companies earned “excellent” reputation scores and 34 companies received “very good” scores. The Harris Poll 2017 Reputation Quotient Summary Report can be found at www.theharrispoll.com/reputation-quotient/. 
   
   The Harris Poll 2017 Reputation Quotient 
   
   Top Ten 
   
   Top Ten Top Ten RQ Score 1. Amazon.com 86.27, Excellent 2. Wegmans 85.41, Excellent 3. Publix Super Markets 82.78, Excellent 4. Johnson & Johnson 82.57, Excellent 5. Apple 82.07, Excellent 6. UPS 82.05, Excellent 7. The Walt Disney Company 82.04, Excellent 8. Google 82.00, Excellent 9. Tesla Motors 81.70, Excellent 10. 3M Company 81.50, Excellent 
   
   
   
   The Harris Poll 2017 Reputation Quotient 
   
   Bottom Ten 
   
   Bottom Ten Bottom Ten RQ Score 91. Volkswagen Group 63.46, Poor 92. AIG 63.22, Poor 93. Charter Communications 62.80, Poor 94. Sears Holdings Corporation 62.74, Poor 95. Bank of America 59.69, Poor 96. Halliburton 58.30, Poor 97. Monsanto 56.61, Poor 98. Goldman Sachs 56.32, Poor 99. Wells Fargo & Company 49.11, Critical 100. Takata 48.70, Critical 
   
   
   
   Vision and Leadership More Important Than Ever, Yet CEOs’ Reputations Failing 
   
   Harris Poll’s analysis shows that while Vision and Leadership attributes are increasingly important to reputation equity, an astounding half of Americans rate the reputations of today’s corporate leaders and CEOs as “bad.” Only one-quarter of the public rates CEOs with “good” reputations; 26 percent are neutral. Americans cite trusted, ethical and accountable as the most important traits for CEOs, while it is less important for business leaders to be curious, visible, bold and risk takers. 
   
   “Vision and Leadership impact a company’s reputational equity now more than it did ten years ago, meaning today’s CEOs and business leaders have a major reputation issue,” said Salomon. “It’s important that companies continue to find ways to demonstrate the value their vision for the future delivers, and how their team of leaders can make that vision a reality.” 
   
   Tesla Unobtainable for Many Yet Reputation High 
   
   Tesla Motors makes its RQ and top ten (#9) debuts with an “excellent” reputation rating, despite the fact that many Americans may never purchase one of its products – or even ride in one. 
   
   “Many companies with high reputations are fairly ubiquitous; you interact with them in your home, you shop at these stores and you use their services,” said Salomon. “What’s interesting about Tesla is that while Elon Musk undoubtedly brings a ‘celebrity CEO’ factor, it’s a company that isn’t accessible to most consumers. Given this strong reputational backdrop, and that Musk has the ear of the Trump administration, Tesla will be a fascinating company to watch moving forward.” 
   
   Highly Visible for the Wrong Reasons 
   
   The RQ study shows that Americans have a deeper knowledge of how companies behave with companies like Takata (massive airbag scandal) and Mylan (EpiPen pricing scandal) more visible due to reputational crises. This year marks the first time Takata and Mylan have appeared on the Most Visible Companies list, with “fair” (Mylan) and “critical” (Takata) ratings. 
   
   “Takata and Mylan are not household names, yet due to recent events, they are well known,” said Salomon. “It’s a clear indication of the level of understanding and engagement the public has in the granular details of crisis situations. Corporate behavior has become common dinner table conversation.” 
   
   Most Damaging Scenarios to Corporate Reputation 
   
   According to the RQ study, the biggest risks to corporate reputation are intentional wrongdoing or illegal actions by corporate leaders (cited by 85 percent of Americans), lying or misinterpreting the facts about a product or service (83%) and intentional misuse of financial information for financial gain (82%). Other risks to reputation damage include security or data breaches (74%), unfair workplace conditions and culture (67%), workplace discrimination (65%), product recall due to contamination (65%) and poor leadership conduct (64%). 
   
   When asked which company damaged their reputation the most this past year, most consumers cited Wells Fargo (23%), followed by Volkswagen (9%) and Samsung (5%). 
   
   “Incidents that introduce reputational risk are not created equal,” said Salomon. “Some crises that we’ve seen play out in the past few years cut at the core of what the public sees as most damaging, while other situations aren’t such a big deal. Reputation managers often face great internal and external pressures to respond, so the more they can understand the scale of response that makes sense the better.” 
   
   Amazon, Wells Fargo Make RQ History 
   
   Wells Fargo & Company, tainted by a fake accounts scandal, fell 20.6 points, surpassing Volkswagen’s 2016 decline (-20.5) as the largest drop in RQ’s 18-year history. 
   
   Amazon.com - claiming the top spot for the second consecutive year and marking the ninth consecutive year the online retailer has ranked in the top ten - recorded the highest rating (86.27) by any company during nearly two decades of RQ corporate reputation insights. 
   
   Driven by its product offerings and an emotional connection with consumers, Amazon.com is unsurpassed in four areas important to reputation – Emotional Appeal (includes elements of trust, admiration and respect), Products and Services (includes elements of quality, innovation and good value for money), Vision and Leadership and Financial Performance. 
   
   Notable Improvements, Prominent Declines 
   
   Volkswagen Group, plagued by an emissions scandal in 2016, is starting to show signs of reputational recovery, rebounding 8.7 points to an RQ score of 63.46 (poor). The company tied with Toyota Motor Corporation (80.21, excellent) for the largest RQ increase in 2017. JCPenney (+6.4) also shows notable improvement, earning the highest RQ score the company has had in the past decade. UPS (2012) and 3M (2011) return to the top ten after multi-year absences. 
   
   Wells Fargo and Takata are the only companies to score at “critical” levels. Wells Fargo fell 20.6 points, from a “fair” (69.73) score in 2016 to 49.11. Takata debuted at the bottom (#100) of the RQ list with a score of 48.70. 
   
   Other companies showing marked declines are Procter & Gamble Co. (-5.3), Samsung (-5.3), Chipotle (-4.6) and Bank of America (-4.6). Procter & Gamble’s decline is evident across all reputation dimensions, but particularly pronounced with Workplace Environment. 
   
   Methodology 
   
   The 2017 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient was conducted online in English, among 23,633 U.S. respondents from November 29 - December 16, 2016, with preliminary nominating waves of research conducted among 4,092 respondents from September 13 -15 and October 4 – 6, 2016. 
   
   The Annual RQ study begins with a Nomination Phase, which is used to identify the companies with the most "visible" reputations. All respondents are asked, unaided, to name companies that stand out as having the best and worst reputations. Online nominations are summed to create a total number of nominations for each company. The final list of the 100 most visible companies in the U.S. is measured in the RQ Ratings Phase. In the ratings phase, respondents are randomly assigned to rate two of the companies with which they are "very" or "somewhat" familiar. After the first company rating is completed, the respondent is given the option to rate the second company. Companies are rated on their reputation on 20 different attributes that comprise the Reputation Quotient instrument. The attributes are grouped into six different reputation dimensions: Emotional Appeal, Financial Performance, Products and Services, Social Responsibility, Vision and Leadership, and Workplace Environment. 
   
   Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll and sample partner surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in an online panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. 
   
   About the Reputation Quotient 
   
   The Harris Poll Reputation Quotient (RQ), an established annual measure of the understanding of corporate reputation in America since 1999, identifies movement, trends and insights in a changing corporate reputation landscape. It quantifies reputation ratings for the 100 most visible companies in the U.S., as perceived by the general public. 
   
   About The Harris Poll 
   
   Over the last five decades, Harris Polls have become media staples. With comprehensive experience and precise technique in public opinion polling, along with a proven track record of uncovering consumers' motivations and behaviors, The Harris Poll has gained strong brand recognition around the world. The Harris Poll offers a diverse portfolio of proprietary client solutions to transform relevant insights into actionable foresight for a wide range of industries including health care, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer packaged goods. 
   
   The Harris Poll Reputation Quotient results disclosed in this press release may not be used for advertising, marketing or promotional purposes without the prior written consent of Harris Poll. ||||| Worst Reputations: 
   
   Source: vw.com 
   
   10. Volkswagen Group 
   
   > 2017 reputation score: 63.46 
   
   > 2016 reputation score: 54.75 
   
   > Industry: Automobile manufacturing 
   
   > CEO: Matthias Müller 
   
   The Environmental Protection Agency announced in September 2015 that a number of Volkswagen vehicles had been rigged to pass emissions tests. Volkswagen admitted that 11 million of its cars were manipulated to falsely understate exhaust emissions levels. The scandal was one of the worst instances of major corporate fraud in recent history. It resulted in more than $20 billion in fines and lawsuits in the U.S. alone, the resignation of the CEO and suspension of several executives, and pending criminal charges for a number of U.S. employees. While Volkswagen’s reputation is recovering — the increase in the company’s reputation score from 54.75 in 2016 to 63.46 in 2017 was the largest of any corporation — the automaker has one of the worst reputations of any company today. 
   
   Source: Wikimedia Commons 
   
   9. AIG 
   
   > 2017 reputation score: 63.22 
   
   > 2016 reputation score: 61.15 
   
   > Industry: Insurance 
   
   > CEO: Peter Hancock 
   
   AIG can trace its roots back nearly 100 years to its Shanghai-based predecessor, a general insurance company known as American Asiatic Underwriters. Today, the company provides insurance and other financial services in more than 100 countries. 
   
   The company’s reputation took a major hit during the financial crisis, when the federal government stepped in to save the insurer it considered too big to fail with an $85 billion bailout. AIG is one of several companies on this list to receive a bailout during the Great Recession, many of which are also blamed for contributing to the crisis that led to their downfalls. Currently, company board members are discussing CEO Peter Hancock’s future with the company, as his two-year restructuring plan designed to reward shareholders appears to be failing. 
   
   Source: Wikimedia Commons 
   
   8. Charter Communications 
   
   > 2017 reputation score: 62.80 
   
   > 2016 reputation score: 64.78 
   
   > Industry: Cable telecommunications 
   
   > CEO: Thomas Rutledge 
   
   Charter Communications is a telecommunications company that sells cable, phone, and internet services through the brand Charter Spectrum. After purchasing Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks in 2016, Charter became the second largest broadband internet provider and third largest pay-TV provider in the United States. Those who opposed the merger claimed that the less competition would leave little incentive for Charter to improve its customer service. Charter Communications currently has one of the lowest customer satisfaction scores of any major company on the ACSI. While most of the Harris Poll’s 100 most recognizable companies improved in reputation over the past year, Charter’s reputation score fell from 64.78 in 2016 to 62.80 in 2017 — one of the largest declines of any company. 
   
   Source: Wikimedia Commons 
   
   7. Sears Holdings Corporation 
   
   > 2017 reputation score: 62.74 
   
   > 2016 reputation score: 64.69 
   
   > Industry: Retail 
   
   > CEO: Edward Lampert 
   
   Sears has long struggled against the rising tide of e-commerce. In the ACSI, Sears ranks third worst in customer service among major retailers, ahead of only Ross Stores and Wal-Mart. Sears continues to close stores nationwide. Even as it is constantly trimming down operations, the company loses money. Sears Holding Corporation has reported a net loss in each of the last five fiscal years, amounting to over $8.3 billion. Over the past five years, company shares plunged by nearly 90%. 
   
   Like many other companies on this list, Sears Holdings does not appear to do well by its employees. According to reviews on Glassdoor, fewer than one in three employees would recommend a job with the company to a friend. Only 13% of employees approve of CEO Edward Lampert. 
   
   Source: Wikimedia Commons 
   
   6. Bank Of America 
   
   > 2017 reputation score: 59.69 
   
   > 2016 reputation score: 64.26 
   
   > Industry: Finance 
   
   > CEO: Brian Moynihan 
   
   Bank of America, the second largest American bank based on total assets, did not have a good year when it comes to its reputation. In the 2016 edition of the Harris Poll survey, the bank received a reputation score of just 64. In the 2017 edition, BofA’s score fell below 60, one of the sharpest drops of any company. The company has faced a number of lawsuits for its actions and the actions of companies it acquired, including Bear Stearns, during the financial crisis. In January, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corpoation sued Bank of America for $542 million for money the bank allegedly owes the federal body. 
   
   Customer service is a big part of a company’s reputation, and Bank of America’s ACSI score of just 75 is tied with Chase as the worst among major banks. ||||| Best Reputation: 
   
   Source: Wikimedia Commons 
   
   10. 3M Company 
   
   > 2017 reputation quotient: 81.50 
   
   > 2016 reputation quotient: N/A 
   
   > Industry: Product manufacturing 
   
   > CEO: Inge G. Thulin 
   
   Based on the Harris Poll Reputation Quotient study, 3M has an excellent reputation, ranking 10th highest among visible American companies. 3M was originally founded in 1902 as primarily a mining operation, with the three Ms standing for the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing co. The company has since evolved considerably. Based in St. Paul, Minnesota today 3M creates a wide range of consumer, industrial, healthcare, safety, and electronics products. In the Harris poll, 3M receives particularly high marks for the quality of its products. The company’s positive reputation may be helping its financial performance on Wall Street. Shares of 3M have risen by more than 100% over the past five years. 
   
   Source: CONCAVO WHEELS / Wikimedia Commons 
   
   9. Tesla Motors 
   
   > 2017 reputation quotient: 81.70 
   
   > 2016 reputation quotient: N/A 
   
   > Industry: Automaker 
   
   > CEO: Elon Musk 
   
   The 2017 edition of the Harris Poll study included for the first time electric car manufacturer Tesla as one of the most visible companies. In its first year, Tesla also rated as one of the most positively reviewed of the highly visible companies. The automaker was founded by tech mogul and icon Elon Musk, who also heads SpaceX. In August 2015, Tesla’s Model S received a score of 103 from Consumer Reports, the highest score the review company has ever awarded to a car. According to Harris Poll, while most Americans cannot afford a Tesla — the Model S and Model X each has an MSRP greater than $70,000 — Musk’s star power helps drive up the company’s reputation. Tesla’s reputation for vision and leadership ranked third best among all companies considered in the Harris Poll study. 
   
   Source: Wikimedia Commons 
   
   8. Google 
   
   > 2017 reputation quotient: 82.00 
   
   > 2016 reputation quotient: 82.97 
   
   > Industry: Internet 
   
   > CEO: Sundar Pichai 
   
   Compared to other companies on this list, Google’s reputation has declined, albeit slightly. In the 2017 edition of the Harris Poll study, Google received a reputation score of 82, slightly below its rating of 83 last year. Still, the internet giant remains one of the most well-regarded brands in the world. Google has long been the dominant search engine worldwide, and Google’s Chrome web browser now commands a substantial lead in its market as well, surpassing long-time leaders such as Microsoft’s Edge (formerly Internet Explorer) and Mozilla’s Firefox. Google has a reputation for being an excellent employer. On employee review site Glassdoor, the company received an extremely high 4.4 out of five, and 98% of employees said they approve of company CEO Sundar Pichai, who was appointed in August 2015. 
   
   Source: Wikimedia Commons 
   
   7. The Walt Disney Company 
   
   > 2017 reputation quotient: 82.04 
   
   > 2016 reputation quotient: 81.18 
   
   > Industry: Film and entertainment 
   
   > CEO: Bob Iger 
   
   For decades, The Walt Disney Company has produced wildly popular children’s movies, and the company’s theme parks have been popular tourist destinations since Disneyland opened in 1955. The company has expanded its reputation and influence in film recently, producing many of the most popular films of the decade. In addition to Disney Studios, the company is the long-time owner of digital animation studio Pixar. It also acquired Marvel Studios in 2009 and Lucasfilm 2012. In 2015 and 2016 alone, Disney’s Buena Vista studios produced nine of the 100 highest grossing films of all time. In December, Disney became the first company to surpass $7 billion at the global box office in a single year. Partially as a result of the company’s success in Hollywood, shares of Disney have increased by over 160% over the last five years. With high revenues and strong returns for investors, Disney’s reputation for financial performance ranks third among all U.S. companies. 
   
   Source: Wikimedia Commons 
   
   6. UPS 
   
   > 2017 reputation score: 82.05 
   
   > 2016 reputation score: 78.22 
   
   > Industry: Package delivery 
   
   > CEO: David Abney 
   
   With a fleet of 108,210 automobiles, 237 jet aircraft, and over 434,000 employees, the United Parcel Service delivers an estimated 19.1 million packages and documents around the globe every day. Perhaps contributing to its positive public image, UPS has a number of environmentally friendly practices in place. It was the first major package delivery business to offer customers and clients the chance to buy carbon offsets to negate the emissions generated by the shipping of their packages. According to Harris Poll, the company’s efforts to modernize — by diversifying and strengthening connections to e-commerce — have also provided a major reputation boost. 
   
   Like many of the companies on this list, UPS in the last five years, Like many other companies on this list, UPS has been a strong performer on Wall Street. In the last five years, the company’s share price has gone up by over 37%. The company’s reputation has improved recently, with its reputation quotient rising from 78.22 in 2016 to 82.05 in 2017, one of the largest improvements of any company. ||||| It came to light in September that Wells Fargo had fraudulently opened over 2 million credit card and banking accounts without approval from customers, allowing the bank to collect $2.6 million in fees from its customers.The bank was fined $185 million by the Federal Deposit Insurance Company. 
   
   The scandal led to a shakeup of the bank’s corporate management, a stumble in share prices, and serious, perhaps permanent damage to the company’s reputation. According to a recently released Harris poll, Wells Fargo now has the second worst reputation of any major, highly visible company. Takata, the Japanese airbag manufacturer responsible for a 42 million vehicle recall, has the worst reputation. 
   
   The Harris Poll Reputation Quotient measures public opinion on the nation’s most recognizable companies. Respondents were asked to rate companies based on six components: emotional appeal, products and services, vision and leadership, workplace environment, social responsibility, and financial performance. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the companies with the highest and lowest reputation quotients. While Takata now has the worst reputation, e-commerce giant Amazon.com remains the best. These are the companies with the best (and worst) reputations. 
   
   Click here to see the companies with the best reputations. 
   
   Click here to see the companies with the worst reputations. 
   
   Many companies on both sides of this list are customer facing, and quality of service is a key part of their reputations — for better or worse. All of the well-regarded companies on this list with data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index have a customer satisfaction score of at least 80 out of 100. Companies with excellent reputations such as Amazon, Apple, and Google have among the highest scores in the ACSI. 
   
   None of the companies with the poorest reputations has a better score than 80 in the ACSI. The subscription television service of Charter Communications, which has the eighth worst reputation of any highly visible company, has a score of just 60 in the ACSI, nearly the worst. 
   
   A company’s reputation can have a meaningful impact on its bottom line, and vice versa. Most of the companies with the best reputations, including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Tesla have likely benefitted significantly from word of mouth about the quality of their products. Nearly every one of the best rated companies has reported considerable profits and several have had stock prices more than double in the past few years. With high sales and healthy profits, these companies can spend more on customer service, product quality, and employee satisfaction, creating a positive feedback loop that can boost reputation in the long term. 
   
   Meanwhile, several companies with poor reputations have lost money and have had plummeting share prices. For example, Sears shares are down by about 90% and the company has reported over $8 billion in losses over the past five years. As the company continues to lose money, it will likely be forced to cut corners, doing itself no favors in terms of customer service and reputation. 
   
   Company reputation is not just determined by the quality of products or services, but often by specific events. Wells Fargo one clear example of this, as the 2016 account scandal caused the bank’s reputation to plummet by more than 20% in a single year. Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal in 2015 destroyed the German automaker’s reputation, and the company still ranks among the 10 worst. 
   
   Several brands on this list, including Takata, are only visible enough to be considered in the Harris Reputation Quotient because they were involved in scandal. Others, such as Monsanto, Halliburton, and Chick-fil-A, have polarizing reputations closely tied to the respondent’s political convictions. 
   
   To determine America’s most and least reputable companies, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed reputation scores among the nation’s 100 most recognizable companies from the 2017 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient (RQ), produced by Harris Interactive. The study consists of two parts: a nominations stage in which consumers identify the nation’s most visible companies, followed by a ratings stage, in which each company’s reputation is measured on a scale of 0-100. In addition, we considered company consumer satisfaction scores from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), and company information from SEC filings. 
   
   These are the companies with the best (and worst) reputations.
target: – Congrats, Amazon. The company has the best reputation among American consumers, according to 24/7 Wall St., which lists the companies with the best and worst reputations based on the 2017 Harris Poll and American Customer Satisfaction Index. The top five in each category, with a reputation score out of 100: Best: Amazon.com: 86 Wegmans: 85 Publix: 83 Johnson & Johnson: 82.5 Apple: 82 Worst: Takata: 49 Wells Fargo: 49 Goldman Sachs: 56 Monsanto: 57 Halliburton: 58 Click to see both lists in full, or the companies with the best reputations in 2016.