| NZ Post has best reputation, Telecom has worst; new research |
27 August 2010  New Zealand Post has the strongest corporate reputation in the country and Telecom New Zealand has the worst according to the 2010 Corporate Reputation Index of the country’s largest employers. In the results, compiled by AMR Interactive and announced today by Auckland based Core Communications, New Zealand Post achieves a higher ranking than some of the country’s most established companies, including Air New Zealand, Farmers, Progressive Enterprises and Fonterra, while Telecom New Zealand rates far below any other company in the independent study. The Corporate Reputation Index measures how New Zealanders aged 18-64 score the country’s 20 largest employers, giving them an overall ranking using seven criteria; products, innovation, workplace, citizenship, governance, leadership and financial performance. Produced by research consultancy AMR Interactive, the Australasian associate of the worldwide Reputation Institute, the study follows the same methodology that is used in 32 other countries around the world. This year is the first time the study has been conducted in New Zealand. AMR’s Reputation Practice Director and General Manager, Oliver Freedman, says New Zealand Post's high performance across all criteria resulted in it achieving the overall top ranking. "Although NZ Post did not receive top ranking in any of the individual areas, it was ranked within the top three for all seven, unlike any other company in the study," says Mr Freedman. "It shows NZ Post’s consistent service in difficult economic times has clearly had a strong impact on how the company is regarded among the New Zealand public." Freedman also said that the difficult year experienced by Telecom New Zealand, which included the repeated failure of its XT network, saw its overall score fall below any of the 60 companies measured in the equivalent Australian index. Air New Zealand ranks second overall, topping the poll in terms of products, innovation and workplace. The Warehouse ranks first in the remaining other four areas; financial performance, leadership, citizenship and governance and second for its innovation but drops to fourth overall due to only ranking 13th in terms of its products. Farmers is ranked third overall, with its workplace, governance and products all rating highly. Managing Director of Core Communications, Steve Grbic, whose company is the Reputation Institute’s New Zealand Communications Associate, says that the high ranking of banks in New Zealand is remarkable, particularly given the global financial crisis. "ASB and Bank of New Zealand rank 3rd and 4th for their citizenship and 7th and 9th overall. This differs from results in Australia and around the world where banks generally struggle to be perceived positively, particularly in the area of citizenship. It shows how established, strong reputations can help protect organisations in a challenging time." Earlier this week NZ Post confirmed a net profit after tax of $NZ1.3 million for the financial year to the end of June. While first overall on the Corporate Reputation Index, the company ranks second for its financial performance, products, workplace, citizenship and governance and third in the areas of leadership and innovation. Ends. Notes to Editor: Please find a full list of rankings for 2010 below. Notable findings / comparisons with Australia:
About the Reputation Index: Other major reputation or Corporate Responsibility studies conducted in New Zealand use a self-rating system; the companies being analysed voluntarily provide the data, which can then be audited. However, the Corporate Reputation Index is different because it collates insight direct from consumers, and does not rely on any information provided by the companies being studied. Only adults aged 18-64 are surveyed as part of the Reputation Index in New Zealand, with results weighted to ensure they represent appropriate gender and age groups. For more information contact: Connell Kennedy Core Communications 09307 3937 021264 7348 OR Oliver Freedman AMR Interactive 0061 434 562 623 About AMR Interactive AMR Interactive is a research consultancy that brings innovation, integration and insight to drive business success. AMR Interactive has operated in Australia for more than twenty years, offering a full range of research services to business and government. From advertising effectiveness and brand equity studies through to corporate reputation, customer satisfaction, concept testing and pricing AMR Interactive offers a complete research consultancy service. Our mission is to drive our clients' success with the best people, products and processes. NZ 2010 Corporate Reputation Index
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