Apple’s Ranking Slides on the 1Q17 Global RepTrak 100 List
By Ruchi GuptaUpdated
Apple’s score slides 1.7 points
The Reputation Institute publishes the Global RepTrak 100 list, a global ranking of major companies based on public perception toward them. According to the Reputation Institute’s study, Apple’s reputation ranking on the 1Q17 Global RepTrak 100 list fell to 20th place from tenth place in 1Q16.
In the Global RepTrak 100 ranking, companies are judged on the scale from 0 to 100 points. Apple’s score was 74.9 points, indicating a decline of 1.7 points from its rank in 1Q16.
Apple’s overseas cash could be a factor
How did Apple’s reputation ranking slide in 1Q17? Apple’s lower ranking in the latest Global RepTrak 100 report was caused by a weak score in the citizenship category, one of the most highly regarded reputation measurements. Could the billions of dollars that Apple has kept abroad be a factor in the company’s reputation score?
Apple (AAPL) has $256.8 billion in cash, with the vast majority of its cash in offshore accounts. Perhaps Apple’s announcements regarding its job creation initiatives could help improve its public perception.
$1.0 billion investment toward jobs
Apple is setting up a $1.0 billion investment fund to support advanced manufacturing in the US (SPY) to help create more American jobs. Apple also has recently touted its employment initiatives. The company noted that while it employs 80,000 Americans directly, its impact has resulted in about 2 million American jobs.
Top reputation scorers
In the latest Global RepTrak 100 list, Rolex, Lego, and Walt Disney (DIS) emerged first, second, and third, respectively. Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google ranked fifth.
Samsung’s (SSNLF) reputation also fell, possibly due to the embarrassing Galaxy Note 7 battery incident.
