Europe: Apple faces a reputation crisis
?Following news that the company has reached the $1 trillion mark in terms of market cap, it?s likely that consumers will have expectations that go beyond what the company sells.???? Michele Tesoro, Reputation InstituteReputation Institute?s (RI) 2018 EU5 RepTrak? report has revealed that Apple has taken a big hammering to its reputation of late. According to the wider report, which included an estimated 87,000 individual ratings from the public, along with assessments?from over 140 multinational companies across Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK, Apple has faced a loss of brand reputation. Normally, Apple product launches are greeted with fanfare. But this year, and despite the launch of the new iPhone, Apple saw the largest drop in reputation score among the top 100 EU companies. Most of the reputation-related criticism leveraged against Apple is rooted in the poor state of its corporate social responsibility record, where among the issues highlighted were ethical behaviour and transparency.
Lego: A surprising winner

Brexit? What Brexit!
The research shows that the impending Brexit doom is having little effect on the reputation of British companies at home and throughout continental Europe. In fact, it’s?the continental businesses that are experiencing declining reputation. According to the research, the average reputation of major corporate companies in Europe is down by 1.1 points. UK-based businesses retain a strong brand reputation by comparison. If these statistics prove anything about Brexit realities, its that a confident PR game and statements of positive intention are enough for British businesses to weather the Brexit storm.What do consumer groups value?
The research traced some key demographic trends when it comes to brand reputation preferences among different groups within the British public. It found that young females care more about financial performance and the products and services companies provide, whilst middle-aged men put emphasis on citizenship and governance.What can SMEs learn from the greats about brand reputation?
Whilst we are not saying that SMEs should compare themselves to the trans-global behemoths of Lego and Apple, they can take some lessons from their winning tactics, as much as from their mistakes, to build up stronger brand reputations. For example, Lego isn’t just relying on its cosy, kid-friendly brand reputation. It’s bringing its corporate social responsibility objectives up to date by advocating for a green manufacturing and delivery process. And SMEs can follow this policy too, albeit on their own economic and demographic levels. The research should also comfort SMEs that Brexit is not a big deal when it comes to brand reputation. If business owners are looking to export goods into the European market, advocating a strong market research strategy is more important than worrying about reputation following Brexit.Share this story