By Patrick Avenell
SYDNEY, NSW: The sex scandal involving former CEO Mark McInnes has had a damaging effect on David Jones reputation, according to industry rankings released today by AMR.
After being placed at #8 last year based on how Australians perceive the brand compared to other major companies, DJs plummeted to #25, showing that the general public does pay attention to and cares about what executives get up to.
To add insult to this injury, Myer has trumped it in the rankings this year, slotting in to the Top 10 at #10.
Three retailers still polled better than Myer, however, with JB Hi-Fi (#1), Australian Post (#2) and Aldi Australia (#9) also making the Top 10.
In a positive sign for DJs, Qantas still ranked #7 for overall brand reputation, despite a series of industrial disputes and mid-air near misses.
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In the dedicated consumer electronics retail space, The Good Guys has retained its solid reputation, coming in at #15, whilst Harvey Norman was at #23. Other retailers such as Retravision, Betta Electrical and WOW Sight & Sound did not make the list.
One point of interest outside the retail industry is the positioning of the telcos. Optus is the clear winner, coming in at #36. Vodafone (#59) and Telstra (#60) only just make the list, and are placed behind BP, a company responsible for one of the worst ecological disasters in history; the Australian Taxation Office and Centrelink. Clearly Australians don’t think much of those two telcos.
AMR 2011 Corporate Reputation List selected rankings
1. JB Hi-Fi
2. Australia Post
3. Toyota
4. Nestle (marketers of Nespresso)
5. Wesfarmers
6. ING Direct
7. Qantas
8. Air New Zealand
9. Aldi
10. Myer
11. Woolworths/Safeway
15. The Good Guys
19. IBM
21. Hewlett-Packard (HP)
23. Harvey Norman
25. David Jones
36. Optus
41. Foxtel
59. Vodafone Hutchison
60. Telstra