What the Companies With the Worst Reputations All Have in Common
Equifax, Takata, Wells Fargo, and the Weinstein Company: Can you tell me what these 4 companies have in common?
Trick question—they actually have several things in common. All four…
- are among the 100 most visible companies in the United States,
- had major compliance snafus in the past year,
and - are ranked at the bottom of the 2018 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient.
Released annually since 1999, the Harris Poll RQ is a measurement of the brands that, either because of their extraordinary positive or negative impact, are currently top-of-mind for consumers in the US. The survey is designed to quantify how companies are perceived in society—how an organization’s actions translate into its reputation. Basically, RQ reveals which brands people really like and trust, and which brands they really, really don’t.
If you’re wondering what the four brands above did to deserve their places at numbers 97–100 on the list, let’s review:
- Equifax was hit with a massive cybersecurity breach that exposed approximately 145.5 million consumers’ personal data. The consumer credit reporting agency didn’t disclose the attack for several months, and when it did finally make the announcement, Equifax bungled its response in several ways.
- Takata Corporation, an auto parts manufacturer, produced defective airbags found to be connected to numerous injuries and deaths around the world. Although 3.6 million vehicles with Takata airbags were recalled from the market in 2013, the fatalities continued, leading the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall 42 million cars across the US. A New York Times report revealed that the problems may have dated back to a decade before the initial recall. Takata filed for bankruptcy in 2017.
- Wells Fargo has been mired in several scandals over the past couple years. The bank has been fined for creating fake accounts in customers names, modifying customers’ mortgages without their agreement, and charging more than half a million customers for unneeded auto insurance.
- The Weinstein Company became ground zero for the #MeToo movement after more than 80 women accused the company’s co-founder, Harvey Weinstein, of sexual harassment, assault, and rape. A few months after the Weinstein allegations catalyzed a national reckoning over consent and unwanted sexual behavior, the company quietly went bankrupt.
Although the reasons why these 4 companies made it to the bottom of the ranking may seem obvious, the data behind the list reveals a more nuanced story, and RQ’s methodology merits attention. After all, not every company that makes the news for wrongdoing walks away with a damaged brand. Different aspects of consumer perceptions can insulate an organization from the impact of a scandal, or worsen it—which is why RQ evaluates corporate reputation across 6 dimensions.
Take a look at the anatomy of a reputation according to RQ, and (hint, hint) how an automated compliance and HR system can help you manage each dimension:

Products and Services
What consumers care about:
- High quality products and services
- Innovative products and services
- Value for money
- The company stands behind its products and services
How automating HR &
Compliance Programs helps:
- Address consumer complaints promptly and systematically
- Keep a database of consumer feedback
- Train employees on consistent, compliant delivery of products and services
Emotional Appeal
What consumers care about:
- Feeling good about the company
- Admiring and respecting the company
- Trust in the company
How automating HR &
Compliance Programs helps:
- Run your organization in line with your mission and values
- Facilitate—and document—interactions between employees and consumers
- Collect key ethics and compliance data, and generate reports
Workplace Environment
What consumers care about:
- Employees are rewarded fairly
- The company is a good place to work
- The employees are good at their jobs
How automating HR &
Compliance Programs helps:
- Hire, onboard, train, promote, and terminate employees without guesswork
- Ensure your workforce is up-to-date with new laws, technologies, and procedures, and test their knowledge
- Track workforce engagement and retention to keep employees happier at their jobs, for longer periods of time
- Keep detailed reports of workplace accidents and incidents
- Identify and remove problematic employees and other obstacles to positive organizational culture
Financial Performance
What consumers care about:
- The company outperforms competitors
- There’s a record of profitability
- The company is a low-risk investment
- There are growth prospects for investors
How automating HR &
Compliance Programs helps:
- Give your board of directors and leadership team the exact information they need, when they need it
- Safeguard your organization with evidence of compliance in the event of a lawsuit or investigation
- Become a living example of the intrinsic link between business performance and workforce compliance
Vision and Leadership
What consumers care about:
- There are market opportunities for the company
- Excellent corporate leadership
- The company has a clear vision for the future
How automating HR &
Compliance Programs helps:
- Nail tone from the top and communicate it throughout the entire organization
- Transform middle management into advocates for compliance and leadership vision
- Set goals and keep employees accountable with real-time data
Social Responsibility
What consumers care about:
- The company supports good causes
- The company takes its environmental responsibility seriously
- The company takes its responsibility to its community seriously
How automating HR &
Compliance Programs helps:
- Ensure your employees always do the right thing in the workplace
- Reduce the likelihood of harassment and discrimination
- Spend less time on compliance and more time on what matters most to your organization