Disney’s reputation is on the mend with Republicans after Florida feud
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The Walt Disney Company's reputation is bouncing back after losing favor with Republicans in 2022 when the company criticized Florida's "Don't Say Gay" legislation, according to the latest Axios Harris Poll 100.
Why it matters: Unlike Target and Anheuser-Busch — which also found themselves embroiled in modern culture wars around sexual orientation and trans rights — Disney's overall reputation score saw an uptick in the last year.
Catch up quick: The Axios Harris Poll ranks a set of 100 companies annually based on their overall "reputation quotient" score — a figure that encompasses how respondents perceive a brand across several attributes, such as trust, values, citizenship, products and services, and ethics.
- Disney's overall reputation score rose steadily between 2008 and 2013 and remained relatively steady between 2013 and 2017, but began to take a hit in the Trump era.
By the numbers: During the Trump presidency, Disney's overall reputation score fell slightly from 82.04 in 2017 to 77.39 in 2020, but then dropped off dramatically during its public political battle with Gov. Ron DeSantis.
- Disney's overall reputation score fell to 70.87 in 2023 from 77.39 in 2020.
- In 2024, the reputation score bounced back up to 71.8, its first gain since 2017, thanks mostly to renewed favorability among Republicans.
- Disney's reputation score among Republicans jumped from 61.03 in 2023 to 67.8 in 2024.
Between the lines: Disney's recovery among Republicans is notable, given how polarizing the firm remains.
- Disney has the fourth-largest political skew toward Democrats of all companies measured in the Axios Harris Poll 100, ranked only behind Target, Anheuser-Busch and Pfizer.
Zoom in: Target's reputation score rose sharply from 2019 to 2022 but then fell following a wave of criticism in 2023 for carrying LGBTQ+ pride merchandise in its stores.
- Its reputation score still has not recovered. In May, after this year's poll was conducted, Target said it would pull back selling some of its Pride merchandise following right-wing backlash.
- Anheuser-Busch's reputation score remained steady from 2017 to 2023 but fell sharply year over year following a boycott of its goods over its use of a transgender influencer to promote Bud Light.
The big picture: Even in a hyper-polarized environment, 40% of American businesses ranked in the poll are perceived as being nonpartisan.
- Traditionally conservative-leaning brands saw sizable gains in corporate reputation, thanks to growing trust from independents and some Democrats.
What to watch: For many companies, reputation scores are not directly linked to company performance. But for firms that have faced boycotts, such as Target and Anheuser-Busch, they can be.
- Disney's stock did take a hit during the political battle with DeSantis, but that has been attributed to other factors — such as the writers and actors strikes, pressure to make its streaming services profitable, and the decline of the linear TV ad market.
Go deeper: Full results and poll methodology
