Toyota New Zealand has lived up to its advertising slogan “let’s go places” by going three places up from last year to
take top slot in the tenth annual Kantar Corporate Reputation Index.
Pak’nSave climbed one place to second, with Air New Zealand in third.
Established in collaboration with Wright Communications in 2015, the Kantar Corporate Reputation Index employs Kantar's
globally validated RepZ framework, comprising reputation attributes of Trust (35% weighting), Leadership/Success (25%),
Fairness (23%), and Responsibility (16%).Nikki Wright, MD Wright Communications / SuppliedSarah Bolger, Chief Client Officer, Kantar Insights / Supplied
The survey, conducted during February and March 2024, rates public perceptions of New Zealand’s top 50 consumer facing
corporates and other qualifiers.
Toyota scored 111 in the RepZ index up three from last year with Pak’nSave on 110 and Air New Zealand, Mitre 10 (second
last year) and Bunnings (sixth last year) all on 108. AA Insurance, Lotto, TVNZ and Kmart were close behind all with
scores of 107.
Kantar Insights Chief Client Officer Sarah Bolger said Toyota had continued its upward trajectory in both the Trust and
Fairness pillars since 2022 and achieved a high score in leadership/success.
“Trust is the biggest driver of reputation followed by Leadership. Toyota topped the Trust pillar just ahead of Air New
Zealand with both on 113 for that attribute. Pak’nSave, in second place overall, continued its dominance of the Fairness
pillar with a score of 122, just ahead of Kmart on 121.
“Strong performing companies are mindful of the issues and concerns held by the public and address them in an authentic
way.
“Toyota has won an underlying sense of trust from New Zealanders. People see it as a brand that will see them right,
plus it has a voice on important global issues. When times are tough, leaders with vision navigate adversity rather than
respond to it. Our research shows people trust leaders who show powerful, innovative, transformative leadership rather
than transactional leadership.
“Foodstuffs brands Pak’nSave and New World (which came tenth), are working to offer value in these economically
challenging times. Smart shoppers are looking for value to make their dollars go further.”
Toyota New Zealand CEO Neeraj Lala said topping the Kantar Corporate Reputation Index meant an enormous amount to
everyone who represents the Toyota brand in Aotearoa.
“We strive day in and out to earn the trust of Kiwis in every interaction. This recognition is a testament to our focus
on customer service excellence, ensuring mobility for all, and supporting the communities we operate in.
“Our dedication to maintaining local ownership and serving our communities is central to our purpose. We are deeply
embedded in communities across the country, through our 60 Toyota stores – all Toitū EnviroMark Gold certified – and
Toyota Signature Class refurbishing centre in Thames.
“Our local stores all get behind community groups and initiatives that promote physical and mental health, local
conservation causes, and more.”
Foodstuffs New Zealand Managing Director Chris Quin said the result is fantastic for the PAK’nSAVE team as, despite
negative commentary on the grocery sector, it shows the value of staying focused on the customer.
“Our policy is New Zealand’s lowest food prices and with high-cost inflation and weather disasters that’s been a
challenge. We never stop looking for ways we can keep costs down so we can pass on savings. With the cost-of-living
crisis and inflation biting into every aspect of our lives, the last few years have been hugely challenging for all New
Zealanders.
“For PAK’nSAVE to rank first for fairness for eight consecutive years and to have moved up to second place overall in
the Kantar Corporate Reputation Index, shows we’re making a difference. Our hard-working PAK’nSAVE team are thrilled,
especially Stickman who simply won’t stop going on about it.”
Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran said he was humbled the airline had won Kantar’s 10 Year Award for consistently topping
most reputation pillars over the period.
“Air New Zealand exists to enrich our country by connecting New Zealanders to each other and New Zealand to the world.
Hardworking and dedicated Air New Zealanders come to work each day with that purpose and our success comes from helping
New Zealanders succeed and thrive at home and overseas.”
Wright Communications Managing Director Nikki Wright said over the past decade the Kantar Corporate Reputation Index had
become a crucial benchmark for understanding and evaluating the reputational strengths and weaknesses of companies
operating in New Zealand.
“Corporate reputation has never been more important or more challenging. We have seen issues that have tested the
resilience and integrity of corporations globally. From data breaches and privacy concerns to environmental
accountability, from ethical labour practices to the rapid evolution of technology and AI ethics, the landscape of
corporate reputation is continually evolving.”
This year’s survey included a section on how corporates communicate. Wright said the most trusted source of information
about companies (trusted by 43% of New Zealanders) were independent articles and reviews in publications such as
Canstar, Consumer NZ and Moneyhub.
The next most trusted sources were recommendations from friends or family (31%), Government-backed information sites
(28%), expert opinions (27%) and consumer reviews (23%).
“Regardless of the source, independent, unbiased viewpoints and informed experience and expertise underpin trust across
all age groups,” said Wright.Kantar Corporate Reputation IndexCompany2024 RankingRanking change from 2023RepZ ScoreToyota1+3111PAK’nSAVE2+1110Air New Zealand3-2108Mitre 104-2108Bunnings5+1108AA Insurance6+1107Lotto7+5107Television New Zealand8-3107Kmart9+10107New World10+4106NZ Post11+2106Samsung12-4106Southern Cross13-4106The Warehouse14-4105Zespri15+5104Mainfreight16-1104Fisher & Paykel Healthcare17NC104Watties18+61042degrees19+3104Kiwibank20-4104RepZ scores of 105 or more indicate a resilient reputation
Note:
The Kantar Corporate Reputation Index 2024 measures four pillars of reputation – trust, responsibility, success /
leadership, and fairness. It uses Kantar’s global RepZ framework with standardised reputation attributes to rank the
reputations of New Zealand’s top 50 consumer facing corporates by revenue as listed in the Deloitte Top 200 plus
financial services brands and media.
The Kantar Corporate Reputation Index 2024 has 18 industry categories with brands indexed against major competitors in
their category to remove industry bias. More than 20,000 New Zealanders have been interviewed over the last eight years
with an average sample size of 500 per category per year.