The article lists the most hated brand in the US.
Why Consumers Hate on Brands
When we look at some of the worst companies in the world, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what made them the “worst” in the first place. Such strong sentiments usually emerge from brand hatred, allowing customers to express negative views and perceptions of a particular brand. Oftentimes, companies make their way on the list of most hated companies because of their impact on people’s lives, the environment, or even politics. As per the duplex theory, consumers often end up disliking a brand when their expectations remain unmet.
In this context, The Customer, an internet news company, reveals that Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is one of the most hated brands in the US. Their study, relying exclusively on Twitter data, reports that Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) received 48.35% negative tweets back in 2021. A similar study by Merchant Machine revealed that the company received 69% negative tweets in 2023. Twitter users have been tweeting about expensive rates, driver cancellations, smelly cars, feeling unsafe, and even unprofessional behavior.
Another business that has been on these lists is Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA), largely because of how they impact society. Since at least the 2010s, the video game company Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) has been at the center of many problems. These issues include buying other companies and using unfair business practices in their own games. There have also been lawsuits alleging that Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) used unfair business practices when signing sports related contracts. Consumerist named the company the “Worst Company in America” in 2012 and 2013. In 2018, USA Today ranked it as the 5th most hated company in the US.
Car companies are often at the top of these lists too, with names like Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) joining the ranks of the most hated companies. The car company is notorious for “putting profits over people”. Every once in a while, they end up making a product that puts many lives at stake. Nevertheless, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) deliberately continues making them. One of the most prominent examples of Ford’s failures has got to be the Edsel. There were reports of mechanical flaws with the Edsel, largely due to a lack of quality control and confusion with other Ford parts. Industries like fashion, oil, social networks, computers, and pharmaceuticals are often on lists of the worst brands as well. Popular brand Balenciaga is on the list of the most hated brands in the US because of controversial ads and sales.
The bottom-line is that being successful in business does not always guarantee user satisfaction. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), for instance, is a large-cap growth company in the Automotive & Truck Manufacturers industry. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has a market value of $583.75 billion, making it a mega-capitalization company (market capitalization above $200 billion). For many reasons, though, it looks like Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is most likely to be the most hated company in the world. There is a long list of problems with this company, from working conditions to the way the owner, Elon Musk, presents his political views to the public.
Others have said that Tesla’s marketing is dishonest, that it breaks promises, and that it is a scam. Critics have pointed out that Tesla downplays problems and is said to have punished several people who reported issues. People have even questioned if Tesla cars and services are safe and of good quality. Many reports from the past few years indicate that faulty car suspension can cause sudden, unintended acceleration, brake failure, and wheels collapsing. Users have complained about the sloppy implementation of some features, such as Autopilot, Full Self-Driving beta, and Passenger Play (which lets Tesla drivers play games while the car is moving).
There have been many claims that Musk and his company are guilty of fraud, including buying out SolarCity, selling faulty cars, making false claims, and sending out careless tweets. Musk agreed to pay a fine and step down as head of Tesla after one tweet. Five of the world’s biggest tech companies have been accused of supporting child labor in Africa, where children were made to mine cobalt, a metal used to make batteries for phones and computers. Elon Musk’s car company, Tesla, is one of these companies.
Methodology
To compile the list of most hated brands in the US, we have used information from the website Axios for our research. The Axios Harris Poll 100 is a reliable list of the companies that Americans care about the most when it comes to their image. Their method is based on talking to random Americans online. Along with this site’s list, we used lists from trustworthy sources such as 24/7 Wall Street, CNBC, Business Insider, and Reddit, to name a few. We kept the information from some of those lists that are more than 5 years old because we thought that the most hated names that had been on them for a long time should stay there. We also matched the lists with customer reviews and comments to get the most complete results. Some brands stay on these lists all the time, while others got there because of changes in customers’ experiences or concerns about politics or society.
At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see the details here).
Based on our study, this is the most hated brand in the US.
1. The Trump Organization
Insider Monkey Score: 15
People despise Trump because he has used his authority to speak out against abortion. His entire life has revolved around breaking vows, breaking promises, bragging about his prowess with women, ranking women by grade, mocking women, demeaning women, and harassing women. People refer to him as a grandiose, malignant narcissist. He does not respect the Constitution and has turned the Republican Party into a loyalty test. Trump has surpassed parties and nations in importance.
He downplayed the reality of COVID-19 as the number of cases rose. Since Donald Trump and Mike Pence entered the White House, they have targeted the LGBTQ+ community’s progress toward full equality and damaged the rights of many Americans. All of these issues have spread to his businesses and industries, so this company is on the top of every list of the most hated brands in the US.
Check out our complete list of 15 Most Hated Brands in the US.
At Insider Monkey, we delve into a variety of topics, ranging from the most hated brands to business aspects; however, our expertise lies in identifying the top-performing stocks. Currently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology stands out as one of the most promising fields. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NVDA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion “Opportunity” for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published on Insider Monkey.
