Trendspotting: Brands With the Lowest Reputation Scores

NewsWire: 7/9/22

• According to a new brand reputation ranking, many tech companies poll poorly with consumers. Brands associated with Trump also rank low. (Axios)
• NH: Last week, we reported on a poll exploring which brands had the best reputation scores. (See “Brands That Transcend the Partisan Divide.”) Now let’s examine which companies ranked the worst. (100 = Lowest Rank.)

• Many of the lowest-ranked brands were tech companies. Uber (UBER) ranked #91, TikTok #94, Facebook (META) #97, and Twitter (TWTR) #98. All four of these companies ranked worse than the year prior, with Twitter falling five spots. The three social media companies scored particularly low on ethics and citizenship.
• We have often written about “tech-lash.” (See “Growing Unease Over Time Spent on Smartphones.”) Silicon Valley is increasingly being accused of making addictive products with harmful consequences for individuals and for democracy. (See “Teen Social Media Use Linked with Poor Mental Health.”) As a result, people don’t trust these brands.
• Companies associated with Trump also didn’t score well. My Pillow ranked #90, Fox Corporation #96, and The Trump Organization #100. Other conservative brands like Chick-fil-A ranked better, but their reputation scores have significantly declined. 
• Older retail brands also scored low. JCPenney ranked #87 and Sears #93. These companies scored particularly low on growth and vision.

Did You Know?

• The Thrill is Gone from Thrifting. Thrift stores used to be a haven for vintage knick-knacks, or in the words of Macklemore, “Grandpa’s hand-me-downs.” But according to The New York Times, it’s harder to find quality items these days, because the racks are filling up with fast fashion. Teens and young people are increasingly reselling pricey clothing themselves using apps like Depop, leaving thrift stores to resell free donations that are largely from dirt-cheap retailers like Shein, PrettyLittleThing, and Fashion Nova. Their thrift-store price tags typically aren’t much lower than their original prices. Shein in particular has soared in popularity during the pandemic; since launching in 2008, it has become the biggest fast-fashion retailer in the U.S. by sales. The company was recently valued at $100B--nearly 7x its valuation just two years ago and more than fast-fashion stalwarts H&M and Zara combined. While it might seem more sustainable to donate cheap clothes than throw them away, much of it is unable to be sold and ultimately discarded.