Online branding is crucial for shaping a company’s reputation. A single negative post can send a company into damage control, while positive interactions can enhance a brand’s profile over time. Now, Canadian businesses have a new tool at their disposal to see how they measure up among consumers and customers. 

In collaboration with Canadian Business, the Harris Poll—which has ranked American companies’ reputations for decades—launches into the Canadian marketplace today. The company’s corporate reputation ranking, a staple of the U.S. market since 1999, uses a three-step framework to gauge  company reputations. As part of the inaugural survey, the Harris Poll interviewed more than 5,000 Canadians in August 2024 using a three-step process. First, they asked respondents to name two companies they believed to have the best and worst reputations in Canada today. These nominations were compiled to create a list of “most visible” companies. From there, a second set of respondents rated these 50 companies in seven categories—trust, vision, growth, products and services, culture, citizenship and ethics—to calculate the company’s reputation score. Finally, respondents were asked questions about businesses in  these seven areas, such as whether the company supports good causes or has a clear vision for the future.  

The top 10 spots on the Harris Poll’s corporate reputation ranking went to the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), Toyota, Samsung, Costco, Canadian Tire, Apple, Microsoft, Manulife, SunLife and Nike. Of the top 20 companies, half are Canadian, including Scotiabank (13), Lululemon (15), RBC (16) and Enbridge (18). Tim Hortons and TD Bank ranked 23rd and 25th, respectively. “This is a time of great transition on both sides of the border, with major political changes and frustrations toward leadership,” said Harris Poll CEO John Gerzema. “At the core of this is the consumer, who often gets overlooked.” 

That focus on the consumer is what differentiates the Harris Poll from other company rankings, said Gerzema. Customer spending habits inform businesses about shifting consumer trends, which can be constructive for companies and help fuel the economy. Consumer spending accounts for 60 per cent of the country’s GDP, according to the Business Development Bank of Canada. 

Not surprisingly, the Harris Poll found that high prices weigh down corporate reputations. Companies that scored poorly on keeping prices fair, like grocery chains, telecoms and airlines, tended to rank low on the list. Meanwhile, companies that offered better pricing on products and services, like Costco and Amazon, had higher overall scores. Data from the Harris Poll can help retailers craft marketing campaigns that emphasize low pricing and prioritize affordability. For some brands, this ethos has been embedded into their DNA from the start: Costco Canada has offered a $1.50 standard hot dog since the ’80s. “These inflationary pressures are really a push-pull for many Canadian consumers who, at the end of the day, are looking for the lowest price,” said Sara Cappe, president at Harris Poll Canada, a subsidiary of the Harris Poll. 

Sitting at the top of the Harris Poll’s podium is the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Ahead of the league’s official launch, each of Canada’s three PWHL teams sold out their home openers.  Over the course of the seasons, hockey fans flocked to U.S. and Canadian arenas to watch newly formed teams score record-setting wins and shutouts. 

According to Gerzema, companies struggling to enhance their reputation can look to the PWHL as an example of what it means to cultivate a strong consumer-brand relationship. “The PWHL created incredible excitement and momentum and focused our attention away from the hard times that Canadians and Americans are feeling,” said Gerzema. “Sports is a place where people can unify. We’ve seen the same thing in the States with the WNBA.”

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Canadian companies with high trust scores also placed high on the list: the country’s six major financial institutions all ranked in the top 25, with Scotiabank leading in 13th place. “We saw tremendous brand love for homegrown Canadian companies,” said Gerzema. “This high degree of trust, respect, belief in character and ethics—that’s something you can’t buy.” 

In their responses, consumers considered each company’s growth trajectory and innovation. Marquee domestic firms ranked low on innovation compared to American companies like Samsung, Apple and Amazon. The PWHL was one exception. “The PWHL has come in like an asteroid into the Canadian reputation space and has provided a high value, high-quality product that is dynamic and is innovative,” said Gerzema. He says that a new company soaring to the top of the list goes to show that other Canadian brands can also redefine themselves to turn their reputation around. “The PWHL delivers tremendous value because it brings that emotional side of the consumer experience, which is happiness, togetherness, excitement,” said Gerzema. “It’s a remarkable success story.”