Google Tops Reputation List of US Consumers

The Harris Interactive Reputation Quotient results are out and Google has topped the list of most reputed companies. Here is how the list was prepared:

• Ask US consumers to identify the 60 most visible companies according to them.

• Secondly, rank their reputation based on six different categories, namely – Products & Services, Emotional Appeal, Social Responsibility, Vision & Leadership, Financial Performance and Workplace Environment.

The top ten most reputed companies are as follows:

1. Google
2. Johnson & Johnson
3. Intel Corporation
4. General Mills
5. Kraft Foods
6. Berkshire-Hathaway Inc
7. 3M Company
8. The Coca-Cola Company
9. Honda Motor Co.
10. Microsoft

The scenario, this time around, has changed drastically for Google in the positive, in comparison to four years ago when they had not even made it to the top 60.

Fronk of Harris Interactive said that the company scores either in first or second place on reputation drivers of financial performance, social responsibility, workplace environment and vision/leadership. He opined that Americans clearly need more than just profits to hold a company in high regards today; that is they need to focus on overall corporate social responsibility and how their employees are treated so as to build trust with today’s consumers.

Although Google has ranked 2nd in the social responsibility category, when it comes to companies based on its support of good causes, environment or community, it does not even come in the top five.

Fronk also noted that Google received top-ranking for social responsibility primarily due to their workplace environment, demonstrating that corporate responsibility, in the minds of consumers, starts with your own employees first.