For the 24th edition of its annual Reputation study, which has become the benchmark for measuring corporate reputation in Canada, Leger surveyed more than 32,000 Canadians to explore their perspectives on more than 275 companies in 29 different sectors.
In 2021, Reputation once again presents the ranking of the most reputable companies in Canada, in addition to analyzing their reputation based on Leger’s exclusive model, which consists of 6 recognized pillars. To learn more about our reputation analysis, click here.
The Top 10 Most Reputable Companies in Canada in 2021
The maximum possible reputation score is 100. This year, according to Canadians, the most reputable companies are…
COVID-19 Leaves Its Mark on Corporate Reputation
Leger’s annual Reputation study has seen some significant events affect corporate reputation over the years, and 2020 was no exception. From the pandemic to the Black Lives Matter movement to a rise in mis/disinformation, many events affected Canadians. How did these events impact corporate reputation in Canada?
As noted by Dave Scholz, Executive Vice-President at Leger, “The results do not show massive change this year; rather, they provide lessons in what leads to a reputation shift and the difference between a strong reputation and one that is fragile.”
Overall, across all companies analyzed, reputation dropped by 1 point.
“The rise in media coverage of pandemic news and all other issues put many companies out of the spotlight and, if they had a sufficiently good, stable reputation, we saw little movement,” said Scholz.
However, not all sectors were impacted equally.
Key Findings by Sector
Hit hard financially by the pandemic; the hospitality industry was also hit hard reputationally as travel declined drastically, resulting in a collective 4-point reputation score drop. In contrast, increased usage strained other industries, including the courier/shipping sector, which also experienced a collective 4-point drop in reputation score. Online shopping increased drastically, and Canadians’ patience was challenged in terms of delivery.
With Canadians spending more time at home and embracing food and home cooking more than ever, the packaged goods/food industry benefited reputationally, as did other sectors whose products and services were embraced by Canadians due to the pandemic.
The pharmaceutical industry saw a +1 increase this year, driven largely by an increase in reputation for Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Bausch Health related to increased media coverage around vaccine development, followed by roll-out.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues, and the next year will continue to be challenging for some industries. Going forward, we will monitor which industries and companies successfully transition to a post-pandemic life. Those that do so while leading the way for economic and social recovery will likely be rewarded in the next edition of our Reputation study.
