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Axios
6 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Axios Harris Poll 100: Prices over politics
Prices — not politics — are driving most brands' reputations in this year's Axios Harris Poll 100 rankings, with the election in the rear-view mirror and tariffs and inflation top of mind. The big picture: The average polarization score — the gap between how Republicans and Democrats view a brand's reputation — dropped to 2.55 points among the 10 highest-rated companies in this year's survey, down from 3.4 a year ago. No. 1 ranked Trader Joe's, a grocery chain known for affordable specialty foods, registers a reputation score of 82.1 (82.9 from Democrats and 81.1 from Republicans, or a polarization measure of +1.8 D). No. 10 ranked Apple registers at 80.0, with a +1.1 R polarization. Arizona Beverage Co., known for its giant 99-cent cans of tea, is the one brand in the top 10 for consumers of both parties (No. 3 for Republicans, No. 7 for Democrats). "Are we now entering an era of post-polarization?" said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. "We used to get so upset by the culture wars, and now the absolute dominant priority and attention has been focused by the consumer on value." Brand politics "was a thing we could pay attention to when the economy was doing better, but this is really tough times for people right now." Yes, but: Political neutrality doesn't ensure higher rankings, and, Gerzema said, "being polarizing today isn't necessarily a strong indication that you're going to be at the bottom." The two companies with no polarization gap, Delta Air Lines and Spirit Airlines, have reputational ratings of 48 and 100, respectively. What we're watching: 8 in 10 consumers tell The Harris Poll that they care more about how brands can keep prices down than their politics. 2 in 3 say they aren't interested in supporting companies that have become too political. But two-thirds also say political polarization in business is inevitable. Most trusted companies by party Zoom in: Chick-fil-A, John Deere and Arizona Beverage are seen by Republicans as the most reputable companies, while Democrats give Costco, Unilever (which includes Ben & Jerry's ice cream) and Patagonia top billing. Several companies that made the Top 100 list skew blue or red. Ben & Jerry's (+16.4 D), Pfizer (+13.3 D) and the Walt Disney Company (+12.3 D) skew the most toward Democratic consumers in terms of reputational perceptions. Views about the war in Gaza, vaccines and LGBTQ+ rights help explain the disparities. Even bigger gaps are seen for the companies that most skew toward Republicans: Elon Musk-brands Tesla (+32.3 R), X (+29.5 R) and Space X (+28.7 R); and the Trump Organization (+45.3 R). The common thread is alignment with President Trump. The most polarizing brands that lean Republican are near the bottom for overall reputation (Nos. 86, 95, 98 and 99). The most polarizing brands that lean Democrat fare better (Nos. 24, 61 and 76).
Axios
26-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Axios-Harris 100: Prices over politics
Prices — not politics — are driving most brands' reputations in this year's Axios-Harris 100 rankings, with the election in the rear-view mirror and tariffs and inflation top of mind. The big picture: The average polarization score — the gap between how Republicans and Democrats view a brand's reputation — dropped to 2.55 points among the 10 highest-rated companies in this year's survey, down from 3.4 a year ago. No. 1 ranked Trader Joe's, a grocery chain known for affordable specialty foods, registers a reputation score of 82.1 (82.9 from Democrats and 81.1 from Republicans, or a polarization measure of +1.8 D). No. 10 ranked Apple registers at 80.0, with a +1.1 R polarization. Arizona Beverage Co., known for its giant 99-cent cans of tea, is the one brand in the top 10 for consumers of both parties (No. 3 for Republicans, No. 7 for Democrats). "Are we now entering an era of post-polarization?" said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. "We used to get so upset by the culture wars, and now the absolute dominant priority and attention has been focused by the consumer on value." Brand politics "was a thing we could pay attention to when the economy was doing better, but this is really tough times for people right now." Yes, but: Political neutrality doesn't ensure higher rankings, and, Gerzema said, "Being polarizing today isn't necessarily a strong indication that you're going to be at the bottom." The two companies with no polarization gap, Delta Air Lines and Spirit Airlines, have reputational ratings of 48 and 100, respectively. What we're watching: 8 in 10 consumers tell The Harris Poll that they care more about how brands can keep prices down than their politics. 2 in 3 say they aren't interested in supporting companies that have become too political. But two-thirds also say political polarization in business is inevitable. Most trusted companies by party Zoom in: Chick-fil-A, John Deere and Arizona Beverage are seen by Republicans as the most reputable companies, while Democrats give Costco, Unilever (which includes Ben & Jerry's ice cream) and Patagonia top billing. Several companies that made the Top 100 list skew blue or red. Ben & Jerry's (+16.4 D), Pfizer (+13.3 D) and the Walt Disney Co. (+12.3 D) skew the most toward Democratic consumers in terms of reputational perceptions. Views about the war in Gaza, vaccines and LGBTQ+ rights help explain the disparities. Even bigger gaps are seen for the companies that most skew toward Republicans: Elon Musk-brands Tesla (+32.3 R), X (+29.5 R) and Space X (+28.7 R); and the Trump Organization (+45.3 R). The common thread is alignment with President Trump. The most polarizing brands that lean Republican are near the bottom for overall reputation (Nos. 86, 95, 98 and 99). The most polarizing brands that lean Democrat fare better (Nos. 24, 61 and 76).
Axios
22-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Axios Harris Poll 100: Pharmacy reputations drop
With thousands of their brick-and-mortar stores closing and online vendors proliferating, big pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens are seeing their reputations slide, according to the annual Axios Harris Poll 100. Why it matters: The souring consumer sentiment comes as pharmacy giants mount major turnaround plans in the hopes they can overcome slumping in-store sales, overexpansion and backlash from putting more products under lock and key and shortening pharmacy hours. "Consumers are seeking quality for their stretched dollars, and drugstore retail has developed a lot of friction and frustration," John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, told Axios. "This has opened up the opportunity for [direct-to-consumer] insurgents and others who can offer a better brand experience." Details: Retail pharmacy giant CVS ranked 57th in reputation score among the 100 brands survey respondents identified as most visible in the country today, down from 36th last year. Walgreens ranked 65th, down from 51st last year. Both have seen their reputations drop over a three-year period. CVS and Walgreens saw their steepest declines in consumer perceptions of their growth and vision. The big picture: In fielding the poll, Harris found 75% of Americans are concerned about health care today, and 38% believe care is getting worse. More than 1 in 5 (22%) patients who take at least one prescription medication said it was difficult to pay for their drugs in the past year. "Whether it's fair or not, if your out-of-pocket costs for your health care are rising, prescriptions and otherwise, some of that blame may get placed with with these retail players," said Tyler Giesting of consulting firm West Monroe. Yes, but: The decline wasn't seen uniformly across health care. Brands like drugmakers Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson both saw improvements in their reputational scores. Of note: Rite Aid, which is in bankruptcy and in the midst of selling off assets to competitors, has not ranked in previous polls and did not rank this year.
Axios
20-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Rising costs rip into business reputation
Business reputation is eroding due to consumer concerns about rising costs, according to this year's Axios Harris Poll 100, which assigns reputation scores based on seven categories like trust, products and services, vision and culture. Why it matters: Companies that have kept costs low while standing firm on their corporate values rank highest on this year's list. State of play: Trader Joe's, the low-cost grocer known for being values-focused, ranks No. 1 on the list and saw a 3.5-point increase in its reputation score since last year. Costco ranks in the top 5, and Arizona Beverage Co., known for its 99-cent iced tea, joined the list for the first time, coming in at No. 7. The big picture: Consumer sentiment is in free fall, according to a new University of Michigan report. Inflation expectations are higher than those reported in 2022, with respondents pointing to tariffs as potentially inflationary and economically damaging. This comes amid Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's acknowledgement on Sunday that some consumer prices will likely rise due to tariffs. By the numbers: Spiraling consumer sentiment is likely to impact business reputation and favorability, according to the Harris Poll survey. 78% of Americans have noticed the increasing costs of groceries. Meanwhile, 4 in 10 Americans say their overall opinion of companies is declining, with most pointing to inflation as the top reason. However, those surveyed also say that companies with strong values are better protected from reputational damage. What they're saying: The companies ranking highest on the list are "delivering value through their values," says John Gerzema, CEO of the Harris Poll. "Americans have shifted their attention almost singularly toward inflation and high prices. And so now, corporate reputation is make or break on allyship: Are they looking out for my bottom line or theirs? The companies that are thriving [this] year are intentional, empathic and most of all, dependable." Zoom in: Clear and consistent corporate values can serve as a safety net, according to the survey. Costco (No. 5) made headlines for upholding its commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, while Patagonia (No. 2) is known for its pledge to fight climate change. Meanwhile, companies that are viewed by consumers as leaning toward one political ideology — like Ben & Jerry's (No. 24) or Chick-fil-A (No. 26) — rank highly. Zoom out: Potential price increases threaten the reputation of budget-friendly companies like Dollar Tree (No. 75), Dollar General (No. 85) and Spirit Airlines (No. 100), per the rankings. Both dollar stores anticipate disruptions or added costs brought on by President Trump's tariff policies, while Spirit Airlines has introduced premium fares. Meanwhile, Chinese e-commerce companies like Temu (No. 90) and Shein (No. 94) are particularly exposed to tariffs, dropping in score to sit in the ranking's bottom 10%. What to watch: While corporate leaders are signaling potential price increases due to Trump's trade policies, few have publicly opposed the tariffs.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NEARLY HALF OF ALL CORPORATE REPUTATIONS DECLINE AGAIN IN 2025 AS CONSUMERS TAKE OUT FRUSTRATIONS OVER HIGH PRICES
Many companies fail to fulfill consumer needs as inflation has shifted America's focus and priorities toward seeking value and spending more carefully. This, according The Axios-Harris Poll 100 Rankings on Corporate Reputation released this morning, is why Trader Joe's ranked first - followed by other value-prioritizing brands like Toyota and Arizona Beverage Company - among the top 10 most reputable companies in the country this year. NEW YORK, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans, fatigued by a third year of inflation, high interest rates, and tariff uncertainty, gave nearly half of all businesses poorer marks in the 27th annual study of corporate reputation conducted by Harris' (RQ) Reputation Quotient Survey. Among the top 100 index of companies, more declined (46%) than improved (37%), as consumers criticized businesses for passing along higher costs, delivering poorer perceived quality for their stretched dollars, and even capitalizing on tariffs to pad profit margins. Of note: 77% of Americans say companies often sell lower-quality products and services while charging higher prices. 70% believe companies are taking further advantage of inflation to increase their profit margins. 60% feel companies will use tariffs as an opportunity to raise prices more than needed to boost profits. This comes as Americans are split over whether the economy is improving and whom to blame for their personal financial situation. Among those who feel stuck (39%) and falling behind (28%) – a quarter (26%) fault business for their predicament. Among those with a declining opinion of business, their number one reason cited was "companies not doing enough to keep prices fair from inflation". And over half of all Americans said they had recently stopped doing business with a company due to unreasonably high prices (63%) and quality falling below expectations (54%). "As opposed to COVID, when corporate reputations surged with breakthrough vaccines and reliable package delivery, businesses haven't answered this moment," says John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. "Americans don't see business with a solve for inflation. They want an ally." Other key findings: Inflation fighters come out on top: Prioritizing the consumer paid off for some companies with Trader Joe's experience the sixth largest increase in score (+3.5) to take the top spot. New-comer Arizona Beverage Co. (99 cent price policy) emerges at #7. Perceived quality is falling: Consumers are twice as likely to say the quality of goods and services is falling behind their current prices than exceeding them (48% v. 22%). Especially as two-thirds (69%) report a noticeable decline in the quality of their everyday items. AI is still more hype than utility for most: More Americans today than last year don't find it important for companies to integrate AI into their products and services (47%, +5%-pts from May 2024), saying companies often overestimate their interest in AI-infused products (71%). With over two in five (43%) even against companies marketing that they use AI. Businesses should go back to the basics: American consumers point to quality as the most important consideration when considering company reputations today, followed by customer service, employee treatment and prices. As over three-quarters (79%) say brands with the best reputation are the ones prioritizing consumer wallets. The Axios Harris Poll 100 is based on a survey of nearly 25,000 Americans in a nationally representative sample conducted January through March. The two-step process starts fresh each year by surveying the public's top-of-mind awareness of companies that either excel or falter. These 100 "most visible companies" are then ranked by a second group of Americans across the seven key dimensions of reputation to arrive at the ranking. If a company is not on the list, it did not reach a critical level of visibility to be measured. For information on all companies and their ranking on the 2025 Axios-Harris Poll 100, or to purchase an in-depth analysis of a company's reputation, click here. About The Harris PollThe Harris Poll is one of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963. It is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three primary areas: building 21st century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible. Learn more by visiting and follow Harris Poll on Twitter and LinkedIn. About AxiosAxios is a digital media company launched in 2017. Axios – which means "worthy" in Greek – helps you become smarter, faster with news and information across politics, tech, business, media, science and the world. Subscribe to our newsletters at and download our mobile app at About StagwellStagwell is the challenger holding company built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at ContactJohn Gerzemajgerzema@ Drew Jacklyn View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Stagwell Inc.
