Breaking Down the 2025 Axios Harris Poll Reputation Rankings
In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll analyze the 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100 — a comprehensive ranking of corporate reputation based on consumer sentiment. While Tesla’s dramatic fall dominated headlines, Steve and Craig dig deeper into what this year’s results reveal about public trust, market behavior, and the communications strategies that helped companies either rise above the noise or sink beneath it. From the inflation-fueled rise of Trader Joe’s to the reputational resilience of Costco, they break down how chaos, affordability, and authenticity shaped the scoreboard. They also explore the long-term implications of AI optimism, DEI backlash, and CEO overexposure.The 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation rankings:https://www.axios.com/2025/05/20/axios-harris-poll-company-reputation-rankingTakeawaysChaos and inflation were the two dominant forces shaping corporate reputation in 2025.Companies like Trader Joe’s and Costco built trustElon Musk’s three companies suffered reputational freefallAI companies gained reputational momentum, but early optimism may not translate into long-term trust without aligning with public values.DEI rollbacks haven’t uniformly hurt reputation scores — but backlash-driven declines show timing and media visibility matter.Topics Mentionedcorporate reputation, stakeholder trust, inflation, brand stability, CEO branding, chaos vs. disruption, AI acceleration, DEI backlash, narrative infrastructure, crisis communication, affordability, alignment, corporate values, public perceptionCompanies MentionedTesla, Twitter (X), SpaceX, Trader Joe’s, Patagonia, Microsoft, Toyota, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Arizona Beverage Company, Meta, Target, Walmart, John Deere, IBM, Nvidia, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Ford, General Motors, Blue SkyChapters00:00 Introduction and the Harris Poll’s Significance01:04 Reputation Rankings: Who’s Up and Who’s Down02:40 The Chaos-Inflation Equation04:51 Tesla’s Triple Threat Reputation Crisis07:17 CEO Overexposure and Brand Risk09:29 Cybertruck and the Myth of Marketing Fixes11:53 Twitter and SpaceX: Reputational Flatlines13:01 DEI Rollbacks and Reputational Impact16:18 Timing, Target, and Agenda-Setting18:41 Costco’s Quiet Stand and Communications Paradox20:53 Values, Visibility, and Organic Reputation23:14 AI Optimism: Microsoft, Nvidia, and the Age of Wonder25:40 Meta’s Residue and the Risk of Unlearned Lessons27:40 The Acceleration vs. Safety Dilemma28:02 Wrap-Up and Final ThoughtsEpisode Hashtags#Tesla #Twitter #SpaceX #TraderJoes #Patagonia #Microsoft #Toyota #Costco #HomeDepot #Lowes #ArizonaBeverage #Meta #Target #Walmart #JohnDeere #IBM #Nvidia #OpenAI #DeepSeek #Ford #GeneralMotors #BlueSky #CorporateReputation #CrisisComms #AIReputation #DEI #BrandStrategy #StakeholderTrust #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork