Poll: Amazon leads reputation rankings

New York -- In a survey released Tuesday, Amazon.com topped America’s list of companies with great reputations, joined by Apple and Google in the top five.

The 2013 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, which polls the general public about the reputations of the 60 most visible U.S. companies, put Amazon in the top spot for the first time, although it consistently has earned high rankings. Amazon edged out Apple, which ranked first last year and second in 2013.

Walt Disney Co., Google, and Johnson & Johnson completed the top five.

Other highlights of the survey include:

• 16% of the public feels the reputation of corporate America showed some improvement, 7% percent more than in 2012, while 49% said it declined, which was 11% less than last year.

• Only six companies achieved RQ scores of 80 and above, which signifies a great reputation, 25% fewer companies than in 2012 and nearly two-thirds less than just two years ago.

"The public seem to have become pragmatically realistic with their expectations of corporate America," said Robert Fronk, EVP reputation management at Harris Interactive, publisher of the Harris Poll. “And we characterize this year's overall findings as the great muddling of corporate America."

AIG and Goldman Sachs repeated as the bottom two reputation positions. Best Buy and Honda experienced the greatest decline in RQ scores, 6.76 and 4.73 points, respectively.

RQ measures six dimensions that comprise reputation and influence consumer behavior. The dimensions and the 2013 leaders are:

• Social Responsibility: Whole Foods
• Emotional Appeal: Amazon.com
• Financial Performance: Apple
• Products & Services: Amazon.com
• Vision & Leadership: Apple
• Workplace Environment: Google

Amazon earned nearly 100% positive ratings on all measures related to Trust. More than 50% of respondents also recall discussing Amazon with friends and family in the past year, and nearly 100% of these conversations were positive.