The 10 Most-Respected Corporate Brands

Public respect for corporate brand fluctuates based on any number of factors, from management changes to product offerings, which is why branding consultancy CoreBrand releases an annual report about the most- and least-respected publicly-traded companies. CoreBrand measures the level of respect based on both familiarity and favorability. Apple AAPL, Delta Airlines DAL and PepsiCo PEP all made the cut this year, but was it for the most- or least-respected rankings? Here's what topped the winner's list: Consumer staples Four of the top respected brands are in the consumer staples sector. Coca-Cola KO and PepsiCo were tied for first place. But, according to the report, both companies have a deficit in their “perception of management favorability attribute,” and each being challenged by the health foods movement. The report suggests that this means people view leadership at both companies as not effectively addressing those challenges. Despite that, reputation and investment potential for both brands maintain higher levels, the report says, meaning that consumers still believe investing in either brand will offer good returns. Hershey HSY also came in fourth place, and Kellogg K was in ninth. Technology There are three new entrants on the list in the technology sector, but they aren't all necessarily newer companies. IBM IBM took seventh place, while General Electric GE snagged the tenth place spot. The addition of those two companies to the top-ten list this year might suggest that brand respect for more seasoned leading companies in the midst of the current economic crisis, the report says. Apple managed to secure the eighth place spot in this year's rankings, quite a jump from being in the eighteenth from last year. There is a lag in the “Perception of Management” ranking for Apple, and the report suggests that this is most likely due to scrutiny of governance within the company after the death of former CEO Steve Jobs. Regardless, the report says it expects to see Apple to continue to emerge as an “economy-leading” brand. Healthcare and pharmaceuticals Although the report doesn't go into detail about about them, Bayer BAYN and Johnson & Johnson JNJ took the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Both companies are more than 100 years old, so they each have had a good amount of time to establish and develop their brands. The stock price for each company is also sitting comfortable around the $100-mark. Old school Another century-old company that made the top ten list was motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson HOG. Here's a the top ten list for CoreBrand's most respected brands this year:

1. Coca-Cola
2. PepsiCo
3. Hershey
4. Bayer
5. Johnson & Johnson
6. Harley-Davidson
7. IBM
8. Apple
9. Kellogg
10. General Electric

Bonus: Least-respected brands Delta Airlines tops the list of least-respected brands. But the report says that issues hurting Delta are the same ones that all airlines face. While most airline brands are well-known, they are not well-liked. Here's a list the full list of least-respected brands:

1. Delta Airlines
2. H&R Block HRB
3. Big Lots BIG
4. Denny's DENN
5. Best Buy BBUY
6. Rite Aid RAD
7. J.C. Penney JCP
8. Capital One Financial COF
9. Family Dollar Stores FDO
10. Sprint Nextel S