Amazon beats out Apple and Google as most trusted U.S. company

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Online retailer Amazon grabbed the top spot for corporate reputation in the 2013 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, beating out firms like Disney and Coca-Cola, but also besting tech rivals Google and Apple.

The Harris Poll surveyed 14,000 members of the general public, gauging their feelings about the 60 most visible companies in the country. In the 2012 poll, Apple held the number one spot in reputation perception among consumers. This year, Amazon's composite score of 82.62 barely edged out Apple, which scored 82.54.

The poll gauges consumer perceptions across 20 attributes grouped into six dimensions of reputation. Those dimensions are Products & Services, Financial Performance, Workplace Environment, Social Responsibility, Vision & Leadership, and Emotional Appeal.

Harris Poll
Dimensions for Harris' Annual Reputation Poll


Amazon led the pack in both Emotional Appeal and Products and Services. In half of the remaining dimensions, Amazon ranked in the top five performers. As noted by Harris' report (PDF) on the poll, Amazon received nearly 100 percent positive ratings on measures related to trust, as well as considerable support in Advocacy and Word of Mouth.

Apple ranked in the top five companies in four of the poll's metrics. In Vision & Leadership and Financial Performance, Apple took the top spot in perception.

In third place behind Apple was The Walt Disney Company, followed by Google, Johnson & Johnson, the Coca-Cola Company, Whole Foods, and Sony. Apple and Google had respective scores of 82.54 and 81.32, giving both an "Excellent" reputation by Harris' metrics. Apple's smartphone and tablet rival Samsung placed eleventh, climbing up two spots from last year with a "Very Good" reputation score of 77.7.

In last year's poll, Apple and Google were in positions one and two on the charts, while Amazon was in fourth place. Speaking with Yahoo Finance, Harris Interactive Reputation Management executive vice president Robert Fronk said that Apple's slight slip in reputation is due in no small part to the company's recent stock drop, as investors have become skeptical on its future earning potential.

"For a number of years," Fronk said, "their reputation was driven by their innovation, their products and services almost being ahead of their time and almost driving the market. Now, actually, financial performance is a dominant driver of their reputation. And of course, financial performance can be somewhat out of your control, as [Apple is] finding."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 24
    Are you serious? People trust Amazon? The company which retroactively goes out and disables books on your Kindles? I am really amazed, tbh.
  • Reply 2 of 24
    I still like and use Amazon. Doesn't mean a thing against Apple.
  • Reply 3 of 24
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    addicted44 wrote: »
    Are you serious? People trust Amazon? The company which retroactively goes out and disables books on your Kindles? I am really amazed, tbh.

    That's the problem with surveys like this. The general population is often misinformed - and relies heavily on the media.

    For example, Apple is actually one of the most environmentally responsible companies in the country - yet they didn't even make the list. All it takes is a few misguided press releases from groups like Greenpeace to completely distort people's perceptions.
  • Reply 4 of 24
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,300member
    I see the author forgot to mention Apple led in two very important areas; Vision&Leadership and Financial Performance. It makes you wonder who they ask. Amazon has very few products, they're mainly service based so putting Products&Services together isn't really fair. I bet a lot of people think the products Amazon sells are manufactured by Amazon. :-) It's the same with emotional appeal. What does this mean when Amazon only sells an e-book reader?
  • Reply 5 of 24
    I literally laughed out loud when I saw Amazon at #3 in financial performance. Shows how little most people know.
  • Reply 6 of 24
    All the top 3 tech companies have some kind of public issue one way or another.

    Apple: Viewed as a greedy, high profit hungry monster, that provides great services and products.

    Amazon: Killer of mom and pop stores that provide great services.

    Google: Privacy bogyman, that provides great free services.
  • Reply 7 of 24
    tundraboytundraboy Posts: 1,909member

    Quote:

    Amazon: Killer of mom and pop stores that provide great services.


     


    Amazon:  Economic bloodsucker that relies on parasitic free showrooming services from local competitors and sales tax exemptions from congress.

  • Reply 8 of 24
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    tundraboy wrote: »
    Amazon:  Economic bloodsucker that relies on parasitic free showrooming services from local competitors and sales tax exemptions from congress.

    Exactly. Well, the sales tax exemptions are slowly going away, so that's likely to cut into their growth rate - and squeeze margins even further.
    bonky wrote: »
    I literally laughed out loud when I saw Amazon at #3 in financial performance. Shows how little most people know.

    Exactly. There's an enormous gulf between the average public opinion and reality.
  • Reply 9 of 24


    You know, I don't buy anything w/o checking Amazon first. And I use there Price check app exclusively on my iPhone.


     


    But as far as "trust?"


     


    Absolutely not. Apple is number one and in fact the only company I do trust! They've earned it! :)

  • Reply 10 of 24
    kdarlingkdarling Posts: 1,640member


    Amazon has been excellent to me.


     


    Like many others, I buy tons of stuff from Amazon, especially now that I have Amazon Prime for $80 a year.   Clothes, toys, books, generator circuit transfer boxes... you name it.


     


    Prime is well worth it for the included two-day shipping.  I've saved hundreds of  dollars a year on shipping alone.  Amazon videos and Kindle book loans are just icing on the shipping cake.

  • Reply 11 of 24
    Amazon has taken a sharp turn south with me. More and more, my Prime orders are filled by third parties I've never heard of and are arriving well after the understood 2 day shipping I'm paying for. Their streaming quality really leaves a lot to be desired compared to Netflix. And right now, their iPads are being sold over list price even though I can get them same day from Apple. Not to mention the fact that they moved warehouses to Texas and now I have to pay sales tax. I'm not happy at all with them.
  • Reply 12 of 24
    ash471ash471 Posts: 705member
    This is like a high school popularity contest....who give a shit.
  • Reply 13 of 24
    Why trust amazon?
  • Reply 14 of 24


    I've had excellent experience with Amazon, especially Prime.  We've bought tons of stuff from them and they have been really easy to work with whenever there's been an issue with defects etc.  It may depend on where you live but we get our Amazon orders very often in only one day, they use "Ontrac" delivery services here.  Many times I've ordered on Sunday and received Monday!


    Not to mention that Amazon's trade-in for Apple products is the best of any service I've seen.  I've traded iPad 2, iPad 3, 4S and got the highest dollars back bar none.  Granted the trade-in is Amazon credit, but that's fine by me.


     


    Apple store customer service has been a mixed bag for me.  I've ordered on-line for pickup in store, got confirmation, drove to store only to be told that they messed up.  Sometimes they bend over backwards to make something right, other times they take a hard line.  All in all I agree with this survey.

  • Reply 15 of 24
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Techstalker View Post



    All the top 3 tech companies have some kind of public issue one way or another.



    Apple: Viewed as a greedy, high profit hungry monster, that provides great services and products.



    Amazon: Killer of mom and pop stores that provide great services.



    Google: Privacy bogyman, that provides great free services.


     



     


    Your glass is looking a little half-empty, Techstalker.


     


    Focus on the puppy below until you start to feel a bit better.


     



     


    However, you did strike a nerve with me when you mentioning Apple making a profit.


     


    What kind of idiot business is in there to make money?


     


    It wouldn't be so bad if they weren't holding those guns to our heads making us buy their products.


     


    (¡)

  • Reply 16 of 24
    adamcadamc Posts: 583member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by KDarling View Post


    Amazon has been excellent to me.


     


    Like many others, I buy tons of stuff from Amazon, especially now that I have Amazon Prime for $80 a year.   Clothes, toys, books, generator circuit transfer boxes... you name it.


     


    Prime is well worth it for the included two-day shipping.  I've saved hundreds of  dollars a year on shipping alone.  Amazon videos and Kindle book loans are just icing on the shipping cake.



    Dude, you must be having a lot of free time both to watch movies and read books.


     


    I really envy you.


     


    And smart too smelling out all the bargains at Amazon.


     


    And need not pay any sales tax.


     


    Smart dude.

  • Reply 17 of 24
    adamcadamc Posts: 583member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RemE View Post


    I've had excellent experience with Amazon, especially Prime.  We've bought tons of stuff from them and they have been really easy to work with whenever there's been an issue with defects etc.  It may depend on where you live but we get our Amazon orders very often in only one day, they use "Ontrac" delivery services here.  Many times I've ordered on Sunday and received Monday!


    Not to mention that Amazon's trade-in for Apple products is the best of any service I've seen.  I've traded iPad 2, iPad 3, 4S and got the highest dollars back bar none.  Granted the trade-in is Amazon credit, but that's fine by me.


     


    Apple store customer service has been a mixed bag for me.  I've ordered on-line for pickup in store, got confirmation, drove to store only to be told that they messed up.  Sometimes they bend over backwards to make something right, other times they take a hard line.  All in all I agree with this survey.



    I beg to differ Apple haven't failed me yet in delivering their stuffs on time.

  • Reply 18 of 24
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    adamc wrote: »
    Dude, you must be having a lot of free time both to watch movies and read books.

    I really envy you.

    And smart too smelling out all the bargains at Amazon.

    And need not pay any sales tax.

    Smart dude.

    Actually, he's probably a criminal if he's not paying sales tax.

    In most states which have a sales tax, you are obligated to pay it even if the seller does not collect it. If he's not paying sales tax in one of those states, he's breaking the law.

    It's really sad that Amazon is so trusted when a large part of their business success has been based on the appearance of a cost advantage because they're not collecting sales tax and so many dishonest people don't pay it. As more and more states start requiring them to collect the tax, their cost advantage is shrinking - and their margins will be squeezed even further.
  • Reply 19 of 24
    kdarlingkdarling Posts: 1,640member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post



    It's really sad that Amazon is so trusted when a large part of their business success has been based on the appearance of a cost advantage because they're not collecting sales tax and so many dishonest people don't pay it. As more and more states start requiring them to collect the tax, their cost advantage is shrinking - and their margins will be squeezed even further.


     


    Nowadays I buy from them more for the convenience and two day shipping (or one day for a few extra dollars), than just for the price.   For example, if I find the same toy for a grandkid on the web from several different places, I'll often use Amazon even if it's a fair amount more, simply because I can do it with one click instead of having to dig out my credit card again.


     


    I agree about the tax advantage, although more states are making them collect it.


     


    Of course, many people are on record in this forum as stating that it's okay for companies to find and use as many tax dodges as possible.   Do people trust Apple less for making up incredibly convoluted tax avoidance schemes?

  • Reply 20 of 24
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member


    As it was already pointed out these surveys are usually flawed, In the case of Amazon they are not always consumer friendly, but when they screwed up it is not plaster all over the media. As we all know Apple is not being painted in the best light in the media and wall street. I am hearing people complain about Apple not because their products are not good but because of all the negative press based on FUD.


     


    Honestly who would trust Google who has actively spy on your behaviors of the web as well as reading your email. But I never understood why people are okay with Google reading your personally email all in the name of getting a free email account.


     


    Also, they give away their mobile OS so they again can keep track of what you are doing, It is not the government tacking you but a company. If the government was doing what Google was doing would you all be okay with it. I have no proof of this, but Google and our government have settle a number of things recently. Do you really think Google convince our government they were not doing any wrong or do you think Google gave the government something in exchange for them to drop the investigation and not fine them.

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