Global Reputation Rankings
Samsung has ranked 26th in a global company reputation survey, moving up a whopping 44 notches from last year. Apple plunged to 58th in the aftermath of “battery gate.”
According to the 2018 Global RepTrak 100, an annual study of global leading corporate reputation in 15 countries published by the Reputation Institute (RI), the world's leading provider of reputation measurement and management services, on March 18, Samsung jumped 44 spots to No. 26 with a score of 73.3, showing the biggest leap among the top 100. Forbes said Samsung had seemingly sullied its reputation beyond repair following the numerous Galaxy Note 7 fires that dotted 2017, not to mention Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong’s corruption scandal but it tackled its crises head-on, issuing public apologies and encouraging the world to “Do What You Can’t” during the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
On the other hand, Apple plunged from 20th place last year to 58th this year with a score of 70.6. The company was outpaced by Samsung and LG, which came in 41st on the list, and ranked similar with Nokia, which ranked 64th. This is largely due to sluggish sales of the iPhone X and battery problems of its earlier models.
Swiss watch brand Rolex topped a ranking of the world's most reputable brands for a third year in a row with a score of 79.3. LEGO Group came in second, Google in third, Canon in fourth, the Walt Disney Company in fifth, Sony in sixth, Adidas in seventh, Robert Bosch in eighth, BMW Group in ninth and Microsoft in tenth. In addition to Apple that plummeted 38 spots to No. 58 on the list, German automaker Daimler and American pharmaceutical and household goods manufacturer Johnson & Johnson nosedived 32 places to 59th and 28 spots to 72nd, respectively.
To determine the 2018 Global RepTrak 100, RI surveyed more than 230,000 individuals in 15 countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, Brazil and China, from January to February this year. Product value, transparency, ethical behavior, fairness and sustainability are among the most important factors in determining a company’s reputation.