Just as we put the finishing touches on our annual Marketing/Leger Corporate Reputation Survey, which is set to appear in our upcoming May 20 issue, our friends at Canadian Business have released their own brand ranking, scoring international and Canadian companies on their products, innovation, governance and other measures. The mag hired The Reputation Institute to poll Canadians on 100 multinational brands that were chosen based on revenue level, reputation and international presence. It will be interesting to compare findings when our own study is published.
Made in Canada still means something. In our annual survey of the world’s most reputable companies, conducted by the Reputation Institute, homegrown companies are rising up the ranks, comparing more and more favourably to major multinationals. When asked which companies scored the highest by seven different criteria, Canadians ranked Tim Hortons at No. 10 this year (up from 29th last year), behind international heavyweights such as Walt Disney, Lego and Google, but ahead of big names like Honda, Apple and Amazon. Other Canadian companies such as WestJet, McCain Foods, Canadian Tire, Jean Coutu Group, Shoppers Drug Mart and Bombardier all made the Top 40.
Click to enlarge Canadian Top 10 Brands
How does a brand like Tims score so high? The survey points to community involvement, such as the Timbits hockey sponsorships and children’s foundation and camps, as the key. It’s that connection that causes those drive-through lines to snake down the street: Tims scored highest among all brands in the survey’s “citizenship” category, meaning its ties to communities have helped forge a bond stronger than a cup of coffee.
It’s that emotional bond with consumers that the Reputation Institute research aims to assess. The survey polled more than 5,000 Canadians in February and March on 100 multinational brands, as well as the 50 largest Canadian companies. Companies were rated on products and services, innovation, leadership, citizenship, performance, governance and workplace.
On the pages that follow, you’ll find the results in two lists: one that ranks Canadians’ favourite brands overall, and a second that includes only the Canadian companies. Aside from top-ranked Walt Disney Co., this year’s Top 5 most reputable companies are all new this year: Lego Group (19th in 2012), Johnson & Johnson (12th in 2012), Rolex (unranked in 2012) and Nestlé (6 in 2012). Henry Ford famously said you can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do. Here’s how Canadians rank the world’s best brands based on what they’ve actually done.
Click to enlarge Overall Top 10 Brands
