Reputation Institute, a private consulting firm, conducts online interviews annually, asking people for their thoughts about the nation’s largest (by annual revenue) 150 companies’ products and services, citizenship, workplace, financial performance, governance, innovation, and leadership. Each company gets a score from 0 to 100 according to the responses received, then they rank the companies. The top companies based on their CSR (corporate social responsibility) reputation come from the IT, media, entertainment, automotive, and consumer goods industries.
In order of rank, the report released this month shows the top 10 companies are: Google, Microsoft, The Walt Disney Company, BMW, Apple, LEGO, Volkswagon, Intel, Rolex, and Daimler. Now let’s discuss why some of these companies would be a great PR gig.
Google
Google is an environmentally friendly giant that integrates sustainability into its services, products, designs and operations to help customers also reduce harmful environmental impact. Google typically uses 50% less energy in their operations and has committed over $1 billion to projects about renewable energy. Also, what we experience in dealing with Google is a free service to anyone who can access the internet.
Microsoft
Philanthropy is rapidly becoming the name of the game with Microsoft. Only a few years ago, Microsoft and Bill Gates found themselves dealing with a governmental backlash for becoming a monopoly – now it’s all about the charitable gifting from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Walt Disney Company
Okay, you had to know that the “happiest place on earth” would be on this list. Disney has been making a great reputation for themselves for decades. Long considered to be one of the best companies to work for because of benefits and how well employees are treated, all that and an amazing vacation destination too. And with that greatness, they just keep moving higher up this list.
BMW
If you have a BMW, you undoubtedly love it, and BMW knows that. So recently, BMW has been quietly running a PR campaign asking owners to share their BMW stories. There’s even a Facebook page just for these stories. This smart PR strategy connects their products to heartfelt, humorous, or grateful stories.
Apple – Apple is known for it’s big and unusual marketing campaigns. It also has reinvented itself and moved from almost being a “has-been” to an industry leader once again using constant research and development and making products that generate unheard of brand loyalty. Over the last 10 years, Apple has moved from being a tech company to a company that is strong in many industries.
What are your thoughts or comments about the best companies to do PR for?