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Financial services' reps on par with tobacco, finds study  

The reputation of the financial services industry fell to its lowest point in a decade, according to the 10th Annual Harris Interactive Reputation Quotient (RQ) survey. The industry shares an 11% positive rating with the tobacco industry.

The RQ survey focuses on six areas that influence reputation and consumer behavior: social responsibility, emotional appeal, financial performance, products and services, vision and leadership, and workplace environment. A score above 80 reflects an excellent reputation. Scores for many of the financial services and auto companies on the list fell considerably below that rating. . . .

“Our study indicates just how hard it will be for many financial services firms to regain the trust of both the public at large and their customers,” said Robert Fronk, Senior Vice President, Senior Consultant, Reputation Strategy at Harris Interactive, in a statement. . . .

Overall, the survey found that 88% of American said the reputation of corporate America is “not good” or “terrible.” However, there were bright spots, including Johnson & Johnson, which came in at number one for the eighth time in the study's history. Sony jumped from number 16 to number three (number two was Google). Rounding out the top six were Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Amazon.com. These six companies scored above 80.

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