BMW Tops Automakers on Forbes ‘Most Reputable Companies 2017’ List
The brand’s focus on corporate social responsibility played a part.
German automaker BMW has topped rivals Daimler, Volkswagen, and General Motors on Forbes magazine's World's Most Reputable Companies 2017 list.
The annual list "highlights the top 100 most reputable companies based on feedback collected from some 170,000 respondents familiar with them," according to the publication. BMW ranked number 12 on the list, behind such notables as Rolex (1), Google (5), and Adidas (10). The list is compiled by the Reputation Institute (RI), a Boston-based reputation management consulting firm that offers "corporate clients strategies and insights into how they might gauge and improve their reputation among customers in various markets," according to to Forbes.
Notably, Daimler was one of the two companies, along with Samsung, that fell furthest from their 2016 rankings, dropping from the number 5 to the number 27 slot.
A Focus on Corporate Social Responsibility
According to Forbes, "BMW's brand carries with it the perception of great products and innovation," while RI's managing director for North America, Stephen Hahn-Griffiths, notes it's a brand that "has relied on innovation and performance, but is fast coming to the realization that focusing on corporate social responsibility is equally if not more important."
Michelin (13) and Rolls-Royce Aerospace (9) also made top marks.
