Brand Reputations: Ranking the Best and Worst in 2023
A company’s reputation has become incredibly important in today’s world, where consumers, investors, and stakeholders are more discerning than ever.
That’s why the Axios Harris Poll 100 has been measuring the reputations of the most visible companies in the United States for over two decades. In the graphic above, we’ve visualized the results for 2023, which are based on a survey of over 16,000 Americans from a nationally representative sample.
Data and Highlights
Each company’s score in the ranking is based on nine underlying categories. These are Character, Trajectory, Trust, Culture, Ethics, Citizenship, Vision, Growth, and Products & Services.
The top 10 of the Axios Harris Poll 100 come from a mix of industries including retail, technology, and automotive.
Patagonia takes the top spot overall, ranking first in the Character, Trajectory, Ethics, Citizenship, and Products & Services categories. The outdoor clothing brand has many social initiatives, including a self-imposed Earth tax that provides financial support to nonprofit environmental protection groups.
Costco is another highly ranked retailer, snagging first place in the Trust, Culture, and Growth categories. The company is famous for its unique warehouse-style stores, and is growing its international presence. As of June 2023, Costco had 854 locations in total, with 267 outside of the U.S.
If you’ve been keeping count, these two brands have claimed #1 in eight out of the nine underlying categories. The last category, Vision, goes to fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A.
In addition to its chicken sandwiches, Chick-fil-A is widely known for its corporate culture of care, where employees are treated more like family than just workers.
Biggest Reputation Drops
Brands that took the biggest reputational hits in 2023 were Taco Bell (-20), Netflix (-20), Target (-21), Chrysler (-22), and Tesla (-50).
Looking closer at Netflix, the company scores “excellent” in Products & Services, but only “good” in terms of Character and Citizenship. It’s possible that the company’s decision to crack down on password sharing may have negatively impacted its reputation.
Tesla took the biggest hit this year, and a closer look at its category scores reveals some interesting takeaways.
| Tesla – Reputation Score by Cateogry | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Score Classification | Score |
| Character | Fair | 69.3 |
| Trajectory | Excellent | 80.0 |
| Trust | Fair | 69.1 |
| Culture | Good | 70.5 |
| Ethics | Good | 71.3 |
| Citizenship | Fair | 68.1 |
| Vision | Excellent | 80.5 |
| Growth | Very Good | 78.8 |
| Products & Services | Excellent | 81.0 |
| Tesla – Total Score | Good | 74.3 |
With an “excellent” score in Products & Services, Vision, and Trajectory, it’s safe to assume that consumers still view Tesla as a pioneer in electric vehicles.
Where the firm has fallen, however, is in Character, Trust, and Citizenship, which may have something to do with public perception of CEO Elon Musk. The outspoken billionaire has become increasingly active on social media in recent years, and this may be rubbing some consumers the wrong way.
Tesla’s reputation may have also taken a hit after it announced significant price cuts in early 2023, which angered many recent buyers that had paid a higher price.
