An Post is the top brand in Ireland in terms of corporate reputation, the annual RepTrak study released by DDFH&B Group’s PR offshoot, The Reputations Agency, shows. Based on the perceptions of over 4,500 respondents who completed the survey recently, the survey quantifies the emotional bond stakeholders have with 50 companies.
The study shows the connections drive supportive behaviour such as a willingness to buy a company’s products, recommend the brand, invest, welcome into their community or even work for the company. Companies are ranked on a Reputation Pulse score from 0-100 based on levels of trust, esteem, admiration and a positive vibe.
Ratings are excellent (80+), strong (70-79), average (60-69), weak (40-59) or poor (below 40).
The top 10 companies in the Ireland RepTrak 2017 study are:
| 1. An Post (79.5)
2. Kerry Group (78.1) 3. Bord Bia (78.1) 4. Aldi (77.4) 5. Lidl (76.7) |
6. Google (76.1)
7. Boots (75.5) 8. Tourism Ireland (75.3) 9. Aer Lingus (75.2) 10. SuperValu (74.8) |
For the second year in a row, indigenous Irish organisations occupy the top three places. One in five of those studied improved their scores significantly this year, while one in ten declined. Overall, the public feel more positive about firms this year than last year, when 27 per cent of firms’ reputations dropped significantly. This year’s average score is 64.4.
The companies that saw the biggest improvements from 2016 were Eir, Kerry Group, Apple and Pernod Ricard’s Irish Distillers. With regard to industry reputations, the food and beverage sector remains the most highly regarded, while the financial services sector is the weakest with an 18-point difference in reputation scores across sectors.
The insurance sector score fell by three points, amid rising premiums and consumer dissatisfaction, while the banks showed signs of recovery, increasing by + 2.25 points. The research shows reputation drives business results by increasing the propensity to buy, recommend, trust, invest, work for, or welcome companies into the community.
Top performing companies tend to perform well across all areas of reputation as they carefully manage their reputation. Just 12 companies hold the top five positions across the seven dimensions drive corporate reputation. Kerry Group appears in all seven of the top five positions, while Google appears in six and Lidl and Bord Bia appear in five.
| Products & services | Innovation | Workplace | Governance | Citizenship
|
Leadership | Performance | |
| 1 | Kerry Group | Bord Bia | Bord Bia | ||||
| 2 | Apple | Bord Bia | Kerry Group | Kerry Group | Apple | Kerry Group | |
| 3 | Boots | Kerry Group | ESB | An Post | Coillte | Kerry Group | Ryanair |
| 4 | Lidl | Pfizer | Kerry Group | Lidl | Lidl | Boots | Apple |
| 5 | Bord Bia | Bord Bia | An Post | Glanbia | Lidl | Lidl |
Pictured above are Niamh Boyle, The Reputations Agency and David McRedmond, An Post
