In this article we are going to list the 15 Most Reputable Companies In the World. Click to skip ahead and jump to the 5 Most Reputable Companies In the World.
Companies are generally established for one reason and one reason only; profit. You can work in a top company at the top level your entire life but you will still not be as rich as a person who owns a really successful business or company. And for the vast majority of people who work regular jobs, they work more than a third of the day, five days a week in a job that they’re miserable at, at the worst possible pay, helping others make more money and become even richer. However, there is a reason that most people only work meagre jobs rather than starting their own businesses and achieving massive success. The first reason is the requirement of capital, which can be quite intensive depending on the business being established. Secondly, there is a huge risk in starting a business. It is true that whatever you earn is yours, less any costs that are incurred but it is also true that all of the losses are yours as well. Hence, if you fail, unless you’re from a rich background with a trust fund, you might not even know where your next meal is coming from.
And this idea of becoming an entrepreneur and becoming a billionaire from nothing is over romanticized and exaggerated. Elon Musk working 110 hours a week and sleeping on the factory floor shows a dedicated boss, even though what this really means is greater pressure on his workers who will earn peanuts in overtime while Musk has become the highest earning billionaire in 2020. But this brings us, as I said, to the core of establishing companies, which is to make a lot of money for yourself and your shareholders, while destroying competition. After all, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has simply ripped apart competition by offering dirt cheap prices. When it tried to buy Pampers.com and the company refused to sell, Amazon actually sold the same products at such a low price, that it incurred major losses. But, it had vast reserves which allowed it to still operate without much issue even as its competition could no longer compete.
And while historically and even now, shareholders have demanded returns on their investment as the primary and often only consideration in investing in a company, the world is changing now. We have seen the impact on the world of major corporations, and unfortunately, more often than not, this impact has generally been in a negative connotation. Companies have continued unimpeded even as they harm the climate possibly to the point of no return, and are rightfully being lambasted for the same. In fact, many countries have now introduced regulations to nullify or at least significantly reduce the extent of the damage that is being inflicted by these companies, while also ensuring that they contribute to the betterment of people and society. This is why many companies now have to include a section in their annual reports on Corporation Social Responsibility and the activities that the company is undertaking under this banner.
In fact, many investors have now come up with key performance indicators or metrics which don’t just take the company’s financial position into account, but also relate to the reputation of a company and its progress in metrics not related to its core business, such as how it is helping the environment or how it is taking care of its employees (see top 10 ESG stocks to buy now). This, added to the regulations I mentioned earlier, has seen companies take steps in the right direction and move forward. Nowadays, things like fines don’t just hurt a company’s finances (and let’s be honest, fines are generally just a fraction of what the company is worth anyway), but it hurts the reputation of a company, putting off investors while drawing the eye of the regulators. Such companies then also find it harder to attract top tier employees, which is why many corporations globally, especially multinationals, have improved their culture significantly. Corporations with better reputations are also able to command greater brand loyalty, as customers prefer dealing with a reputable rather than one which doesn’t have as strong a reputation.
For a company to improve its reputation, it can’t simply work on issues which have already risen. Don’t get me wrong, these issues definitely need to be resolved; however, simply focusing on them will not exponentially improve the reputation of a company. For example, let’s consider an oil company. Let’s assumed this oil company caused a massive oil spill, which damaged the environment and resulted in a billion dollar fine as well as additional cleanup costs. Paying the fine and cleaning up the spill won’t really matter as much if these spills continually happen again. If in addition to this, the company invested money into ensuring that oil spills don’t happen in the future and plugged the gap, the company’s reputation would likely soar much higher. Hence, companies have to be more proactive rather than just reactive to reap the full benefits of their actions.
This leads us to the current most reputable companies in the world, who have consistently over the past many years ensured that their reputation has remained excellent in every way possible. To create our rankings, we have relied on RepTrak, which offers expert advice on reputational intelligence, one of the most important areas for any corporation to survive today. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the most reputable companies in the world, starting with number 15:
15. 3M (NYSE:MMM)
The American company produces N95 respirator masks which were in huge demand in the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the demand in the US, it was forced to prioritize the US first, before focusing on other countries such as Canada or Latin America.
14. Canon (NYSE:CAJ)
Canon is one of the biggest producers of cameras in the world, and most professionals swear by the brand, consistently delivering brilliant quality.
13. Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)
GOOG ranks 13th on our list of the most reputable companies in the world. While Google has often, with increasing frequency, been accused of anti-competitive practices, it is still considered to be on of the most reputable companies in the world, and certainly among the most powerful. Many search engines have tried to challenge Google, to little avail.
Pixabay/Public Domain
12. Rolls Royce
Rolls Royce has turned into a definition of class and elegance. For example, Roger Federer is the Rolls Royce of tennis or Lionel Messi is the Rolls Royce of football. The company produces some of the most expensive cars out there right now.
11. Sony (NYSE:SNE)
The Japanese company is one of the leading electronics companies in the world, manufacturing television sets, audio systems, headphones and the most popular gaming console in the world in the PlayStation series.
Copyright: wolterk / 123RF Stock Photo
10. Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)
Intel ranks 10th on our list of the most reputable companies in the world. Odds are if you’re using a laptop to read this article, it is functioning on an Intel semiconductor chip. Intel is the biggest semiconductor company in the world, and has been for a while, which is why it has been able to drum up significant brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. The company reported revenues of nearly $78 billion, which were higher than 2019 even during a year dominated by the pandemic.
Pixabay/Public Domain
9. Bosch
We have plenty of German companies on our list of the most reputable companies and Bosch is no exception, which is a multinational technology and engineering company, headquartered in Gerlingen. Founded in 1886, the company is currently 134 years old and shows absolutely no signs of stopping, with revenues of more than 77 billion euros in 2019 alone. The company has close to 400,000 employees and its businesses are spread across mobility, consumer goods, industrial technology and energy and building technology.
Christian Lagerek/Shutterstock.com
8. Adidas
Adidas is one of the most famous sportswear companies in the world, and the German company is the biggest sportswear company in Europe, and second only to Nike (NYSE:NKE) globally. It is also the owner of the Reebok brand, which is quite famous in its own stead. The company records revenues of over 20 billion euros and has more than 57,000 employees globally.
