A new consumer survey titled ‘2021 Global RepTrak 100′, considers the best companies worldwide by reputation. The outcome enables an assessment of how companies fared during the year of the global pandemic, and how COVID-19 changed consumer behaviors.
Based on an analysis of millions of data points organized into seven key drivers of reputation: Products and Services, Innovation, Workplace, Governance, Citizenship, Leadership and Financial Performance, the survey provides a comprehensive, post-pandemic study that evaluates the impact of unprecedented global events on company reputation and brand promises. Brand reputation is simply how a brand (a person or an organization) is viewed by everyone else.
The top ten companies, placed in order of reputation score, are:
LEGO Group (Denmark)
Rolex (Switzerland)
adidas (Germany)
Sony (Japan)
Levi Strauss & Co. (US)
Nike, Inc. (USA)
Chanel (UK)
Under Armour (USA)
Panasonic (Japan)
Mattel, Inc. (USA)
Bubbling under are: Giorgio Armani; LVMH Group (Louis Vuitton – Moët Hennessy) (France); LG Corporation (South Korea); Hugo Boss (Germany);and Whirlpool (US).
The survey enables different industrial sectors to be assessed. One such trend relates to the consumer durables and apparel industry. For some financial analysts, consumer durables is an especially interesting industry to look at during times of upheaval as it is highly cyclical and dependent on consumer discretionary spending. Deemed non-essential goods and services, the durables industry was especially hurt by factory and retail shutdowns.
However, some parts of the sector did well. With consumers stuck at home, there were surges of unexpected demand in certain categories, especially low-commitment products and services tied to in-home entertainment, hobbies, and home improvement. Items like a monitor or a desk became an essential necessity.
In this context, many people prioritized a company’s ability to get you the product you want when you want it. Performance is a key focus area in the months ahead, as demand starts to play catch up in higher-commitment categories.
These factors perhaps account for the reason why the consumer durables and apparel industry has the top global reputation, from the survey. Based on sector reputation, the top ten are:
Consumer Durables & Apparel
Technology Hardware & Equipment
Software Services
Household & Personal Products
Capital Goods
Food, Beverage & Tobacco
Automobiles & Components
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
Consumer Services
Transportation
Such a list may change post-pandemic, but it provides an interesting snapshot of consumer-to-brand interactions during this unprecedented periods of human history.
