Air New Zealand has been voted by consumers as having the country's best corporate reputation, despite facing numerous challenges over the past year.
Photo: AFP
This year's Colmar Brunton Reputation Index, which is run in conjunction with Wright Communications, shows the national carrier managed to hold on to its top ranking for the second consecutive year, with supermarket chain Pak'n Save and TVNZ rounding out the top three.
Air New Zealand made headlines throughout the past year as it laid off staff, provided credits instead of refunds to customers who had their flights canceled, and saw numerous senior executives depart.
Wright Communications' managing director, Nikki Wright, said the airline had to drawn down on all the goodwill it had built up over the years and during the pandemic.
"Despite that challenge, I guess they have tried incredibly hard to remain focused on the customer."
She said the company's chief executive, Greg Foran, also fronted up when times times were tough, which is something consumers appreciate.
"When issues do pop up, to have the leader of the business respond directly, and decisively, and in a timely manner does go a long way to providing a level of comfort to the public."
One of the biggest losers over the past 12 months was The Warehouse Group, which slipped seven places from eighth to 15th.
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The retailer found itself under fire from unions, and even the prime minister last year when it announced plans to cut 750 jobs, while claiming $67 million in wage subsidies.
The company had since repaid the subsidy, but Wright said because news coverage tends to have such an effect on how firms are perceived, it was likely the negative publicity contributed to its fall in the rankings.
Among the big risers was the ASB bank which jumped several places to 11th on the index.
In the past 12 months the company has embarked on a big marketing campaign, paying for a slot on TV 1 called "Backing Business," and even bought the naming rights for Eden Park for a week, renaming it after a small business in Kaikoura.
Wright said there was a lot more to a good reputation than just a big marketing budget, and ASB had done a lot of work with vulnerable customers during the past year.
"Companies who fare well in the index are certainly understanding what it takes to earn a positive reputation, and those are things like building trust, following through, being a positive influence on society, being honest, being ethical in their conduct, another key important pillar would be responsibility."
The Colmar Brunton Reputationiton Index uses the global RepZ framework, created by Colmar's parent company Kantar, which surveys people based on a company's leadership, fairness, responsibility and trust.
It surveyed 500 people about the top consumer-facing corporate companies in New Zealand.