Americans have named Patagonia and Costco as some of the most reputable brands in a survey conducted by Axios and market research firm the Harris Poll. The survey asked over 16,000 respondents to share their impressions of more than 100 companies and rank which they perceived as having the “best” and “worst” reputations, based on criteria such as company culture, trustworthiness, and ethics.
Patagonia and Costco were both highly respected for their values and for providing good job opportunities for employees. Costco, in particular, is noted for having a fully unionized workforce of over 18,000 of its employees represented by the Teamsters union.
At the other end of the list were companies that have had much more negative press in recent months, including Twitter, Fox, FTX, and The Trump Organization. While Twitter suffered significant layoffs after billionaire investor Elon Musk took over, the company is looking for ways to move forward. Fox News has faced controversy over its $787.5 million settlement to the election software company Dominion after amplifying false information about the 2020 US presidential election results. FTX is dealing with bankruptcy proceedings, and The Trump Organization is currently embroiled in an ongoing legal case involving hush money payments and a sexual abuse allegation.
Unfortunately, companies often can receive backlash that tarnishes their reputation and affects the way users perceive them. However, outcomes from the survey suggest that companies who have clear values and prioritize their workers can benefit greatly in terms of public opinion.
