Culture wars and scandals drag down corporate reputations
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The reputations of companies that stumbled into politics or the culture wars have been hit hardest since 2019, when the Axios Harris Poll 100 first launched the rankings.
Why it matters: Most of the biggest decliners have consistently made headlines for polarizing acts or operational failures.
By the numbers: Elon Musk-owned companies, Tesla and SpaceX are among those that have seen the sharpest declines, with both ranking in the bottom 10% for character, trust and citizenship.
- Boeing's reputation score has seen a 13-point decline since 2019, coming in at No. 90 for trust and ethics and No. 93 for vision and growth.
- Companies recently entangled in culture wars — like the Walt Disney Company, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Hobby Lobby — have also taken a hit.
- Meanwhile, UnitedHealth Group fell 33 spots since it first debuted on the list in 2020 — from No. 59 to No. 92 this year as everyday Americans raised concerns about the company's practices.
Yes, but: Just because a company's reputation score dropped doesn't mean it's in dire straits.
- Some top decliners — like Amazon, Procter & Gamble and PayPal — still have reputation scores that place them in the "very good" category.
Between the lines: A strong brand and loyal following can protect a company's reputation from political or cultural headwinds, according to the poll.
- Southwest Airlines, DraftKings, Google and Target have faced recent backlash specific to their own industries or company decisions — and while all four companies experienced declines this year, they were in line with or less than the average decline of 2.34 points.
What to watch: How revisions to diversity, equity and inclusion policies or sustainability practices impact corporate reputation in the year ahead.
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