America's least respected companies
A survey ranks brands from a business perspective, not on products. Favorability is based on remarks on a company's reputation, perceptions of its management and its investment potential.
By Douglas A. McIntyre and Paul Ausick
Coca-Cola (KO) remains the nation's most respected brand for the sixth consecutive year, though for 2013 it shares that perch with rival PepsiCo (PEP), according to a recent survey from CoreBrand, a company that researches branding and its implications for business.
At the other end of the spectrum is Delta Air Lines (DAL), ranked as this year's least respected company in the United States.
The website 24/7 Wall St. reviewed CoreBrand's report, which ranked 1,000 U.S. companies in terms of familiarity and favorability. Companies widely known yet not favorably viewed are the least respected companies in America.
Companies with the lowest levels of respect are often perceived as badly managed. Turmoil in an organization is one of the biggest factors working against many of the least respected brands, says James Gregory, the chief executive of CoreBrand.
"A company can address one big issue, and it usually doesn't cause a lot of damage to (its reputation)," Gregory says. "When you have one thing after another (go wrong) over a long period of time, it does cause damage to the brand."
Not all damage is self-inflicted. For instance, there's so much consumer negativity around the airline industry that even a relatively well-run company like Delta gets tainted, Gregory says.
CoreBrand's latest report, "Brand Respect: The Most and Least Respected Corporate Brands," ranks familiarity and favorability on a scale of one to 100, with a higher score indicating a better the reputation.
A survey ranks brands from a business perspective, not on products. Favorability is based on remarks on a company's reputation, perceptions of its management and its investment potential.
By Douglas A. McIntyre and Paul Ausick
Coca-Cola (KO) remains the nation's most respected brand for the sixth consecutive year, though for 2013 it shares that perch with rival PepsiCo (PEP), according to a recent survey from CoreBrand, a company that researches branding and its implications for business.
At the other end of the spectrum is Delta Air Lines (DAL), ranked as this year's least respected company in the United States.
The website 24/7 Wall St. reviewed CoreBrand's report, which ranked 1,000 U.S. companies in terms of familiarity and favorability. Companies widely known yet not favorably viewed are the least respected companies in America.
Companies with the lowest levels of respect are often perceived as badly managed. Turmoil in an organization is one of the biggest factors working against many of the least respected brands, says James Gregory, the chief executive of CoreBrand.
"A company can address one big issue, and it usually doesn't cause a lot of damage to (its reputation)," Gregory says. "When you have one thing after another (go wrong) over a long period of time, it does cause damage to the brand."
Not all damage is self-inflicted. For instance, there's so much consumer negativity around the airline industry that even a relatively well-run company like Delta gets tainted, Gregory says.
CoreBrand's latest report, "Brand Respect: The Most and Least Respected Corporate Brands," ranks familiarity and favorability on a scale of one to 100, with a higher score indicating a better the reputation.
