What Healthcare Brands Can Learn From This Year’s Axios Harris Poll 100 Results

According to the recently released results of Stagwell’s (STGW) Harris Poll 23rd Annual Corporate Reputation Ranking, although some grocery stores have weathered the pandemic and supply chain mess well enough to boost their reputations, “the pandemic-era halo many industries enjoyed are beginning to normalize.” Also referred to as the Axios-Harris Poll 100, this annual ranking found that “Social media platforms and companies with missteps on social issues are the ones with the poorest reputations or that suffered the steepest declines.”

Quoted in a press release, John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, summarized the dynamics involved.

“As Americans move on from COVID, they are looking at corporate reputation through a more practical lens,” he said. “Companies delivering on time and keeping their promises despite supply-chain issues are being held in high regard. Businesses that also do their part to create a better world – whether through sustainability or taking a stand on authentic social issues – also are being rewarded.”

Seven Key Areas of Performance

Conducted March 11-April 3, 2022, this annual ranking is based on a survey of 33,096 Americans in a nationally representative sample: “The two-step process starts fresh each year by surveying the public’s top-of-mind awareness of companies that either excel or falter. These 100 ‘most visible companies’ are then ranked by a second group of Americans across the seven key dimensions of reputation to arrive at the ranking.”

Those seven key dimensions are part of the survey’s Reputation Quotient (RQ) and include: 

• Trust – “Is this a company I trust?”
• Vision – “Does this company have a clear vision for the future?”
• Growth – “Is this a growing company?”
• Products and Services – “Does this company develop innovative products and services that I want and value?”
• Culture – “Is this a good company to work for?”
• Ethics – “Does this company maintain high ethical standards?”
• Citizenship – “Does this company share my values and support good causes?”

Lessons for Healthcare Brands

In the statement, several leaders associated with the survey summed up key points related to the findings that may also apply to healthcare brands. They include the importance of:

• Getting back to basics with steadfast values: “It’s back to basics with companies that offer quality products and are guided by steadfast values riding to the top,” said Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn. “Those that became enmeshed in political quagmires tended to be set back.” 

• Starting close to home to reestablish trust: “The poll reinforces what we have seen on the ground with our local news product Axios Local,” said Jim VandeHei, co-founder and CEO of Axios. “To reestablish trust with a skeptical population, you have to start closer to home, making a real impact within local communities. Consumers reward brands that deliver a trusted product on time and as promised.”
• Prioritizing reputation throughout the organization: “To excel at reputation, companies must deliver high marks on business performance, corporate character and trust,” said Ray Day, vice chair of Stagwell, which includes The Harris Poll. “While you can build a brand, you earn a reputation. Companies with strong reputations have a price advantage, a competitive advantage and a talent advantage. That’s why reputation needs to be a priority from the board room to the C-suite.”

Contact us today to find out how we can help you level up your healthcare marketing strategy.