Every company has a reputation, but they don’t always realize how fragile that reputation is. Technology controls our society, and anything negative that happens can spread like wildfire. Building a strong reputation before times of crisis makes a huge difference in reputation recovery. The Reputation Institute’s data feeds the Forbes 100 list of brands and companies with the best reputation.

The graphic below tells the whole story. Consumers are more likely to buy from, trust, work for and invest in companies that have a better reputation. The better your reputation, the better your business.

Now, here is what we’ve all been waiting for! The top 10 list for this year:

1. Netflix
2. Hershey’s
3. Whirlpool
4. Rolex
5. McCormick
6. Barnes & Noble
7. Hasbro
8. Costco
9. Nintendo
10. Lego

Netflix took a huge leap forward considering they were ranked 23^rd last year. Microsoft and Dell are newsworthy, especially because Microsoft went up eight points and Dell went up six. Lowe’s Home Improvement went up 91 spots, which is a huge leap. Albertson’s is another noteworthy story because they moved into the “strong reputation” category.

Which companies were the big losers? Google dropped 63 spots to 119 on the list and Facebook dropped down second to last at 389. Amazon was in the top 10 for eight years and held the number one spot for four years, but they did not make the top 50 this year. Nike dropped a little over six points, and at one point they were the second most reputable company. All of this goes to show just how fragile your reputation is. Continue to tell your story and build up good will in the bank of public trust.

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