That score put Apple well ahead of number two Google’s score of 82.82—Google was number one in last year’s poll, and Harris Interactive stressed that Google’s score was still quite respectable. That serves to emphasize just how well Apple did in this year’s poll, as shown in the chart below.
“Customer inclination towards strong leadership and technological innovation may be the catalyst, and it is within this environment that Apple reigns supreme,” the company said in announcing this year’s results.
While Apple earned top five scores in all six categories, including Vision & Leadership, Social Responsibility, Emotional Appeal, Workplace Environment, Products & Services, and Financial Performance, the firm described Apple as “dominating” four of those categories, as seen in the chart below.
Whole Foods was tops in Social Responsibility, while Amazon was tops in Emotional Appeal. Apple’s scores in the other four categories dwarfed every company’s score in those two categories—looking at Vision & Leadership and Financial Performance, it doesn’t even seem like it’s a fair contest.
“We are seeing the emergence of a group of companies that garner reputation equity by being positively associated with multiple industries,” Robert Fronk, executive vice president and Global Corporate Reputation Practice Lead for Harris Interactive, said in a statement. “Companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon.com combine innovation and leadership across multiple business areas, giving them true competitive advantage.”
Rounding out the top five included Coca-Cola at number three, Amazon at number four, and Kraft Foods at number five. Pushed out to the bottom include several financial institutions, including AIG, Bank of America, JP Morgan, and Goldman Sachs. Even Berkshire Hathaway—number one in 2010 and number four in 2011—was pushed out of the top five.
Harris Interactive Video Offering More Insight on RQ Poll