In today's digital world of social media, company deeds have a greater impact on reputation than words, and even, surprisingly, than prices and discount rates. And it depends on the reputation what and in what quantity people will buy. IN top 100 best brands in the world from the research company with the self-explanatory name Reputation Institute included not only companies whose products and services are of high quality, but those who managed to create a strong emotional connection with customers.
The strength of the emotional connection was assessed by the Reputation Institute experts according to seven main criteria:
- The quality of products and services,
- innovation,
- working conditions,
- ability to manage,
- level of social responsibility,
- leadership qualities,
- efficiency and productivity.
Methodology for determining the best brands in the world
Based on these indicators, the average score was calculated, according to which the companies were distributed along the ladder of popular trust. Those who were lucky enough to score more than 80 points got "Excellent" level. The full significance of this assessment can be understood due to the fact that only the winning company managed to achieve the coveted number. 70-79 is "excellent" and 60-69 is "average". None of the top 100 brands fell below 64.
In 2017, the top 10 brands with the highest reputations are characterized by the growing importance of luxury goods. On the first place for many years is the Swiss company Rolex, which manufactures premium watches and accessories. It is the only brand to achieve a “superior level” with 80.38 points (Rolex scored the highest for “quality of products and services”). The top ten also includes the British brand Rolls-Royce, which produces prestigious cars, taking seventh place.
Here's a selection of the Reputation Institute's best-known companies.
Nearly half of the top ten places are given to consumer goods manufacturers. One of them is the Danish company LEGO, known for its eponymous constructor. If in 2016 it was ranked sixth, then in 2017 it moved up to second, having received the highest score in terms of “management”. And all because of the films - since 2005, the company has been consistently releasing a film or two a year, where characters iconic for the modern film industry are embodied in a toy constructor (by the way, in 2017, Batman from blocks appeared). Canon, BOSCH, SONY and, for the first time ever, a sportswear and accessories company dearly loved by certain segments of the Russian population, Adidas, are among the top ten consumer goods manufacturers.
The past year has been tough for Internet companies and computer equipment manufacturers - most valuable brand of 2017 Google, lost in reputation, having shifted from third to fifth, Microsoft has disappeared from the top ten altogether, having received eleventh place. But the worst was Apple - in 2011 proud bearers of the apple mark ranked second in the ranking of reputations, but since then they are less and less trusted. Up to the point that in 2017, Apple not only was not included in the number of favorites, but for reasons unnamed by the compilers of the rating, slipped into twentieth place. And the main competitor of Apple, Samsung, generally moved closer to the end of the list and now occupies seventy place.Intel was more fortunate - the corporation triumphantly returned to the big ten after a year absence, taking eighth place.
Even the controversial Force Awakens could not spoil the reputation of the only one in the top ten cinematographic company Walt Disney Company, because in 2016 two cartoons were released that received high marks from both critics and viewers - Zootopia and Moana. The company is in third place in the reputation rating.
Reputation Institute experts believe that this rating will be useful not only for buyers, but also for manufacturers themselves. If the company is not included in the coveted hundred, then there is still room for improvement.