Skip to main content

Samsung’s reputation was among the most damaged of any company last year

Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
The annual Harris Poll, which measures corporate reputation among tens of thousands of respondents in the United States, found that Samsung suffered one of the biggest hits of any company in 2016. The South Korean technology giant placed 49th in this year’s survey — down from seventh last year and its peak of third in 2015.

The Harris Poll, which has been conducted since 1999, prompts each respondent to rate two companies on a criteria of 20 different attributes. When asked which firm suffered the greatest drop in reputation over the past year, Samsung was the third-most common answer among those surveyed, taking 5 percent of the vote, followed by Volkswagen in second with 9 percent and Wells Fargo taking the top spot with 23 percent.

The study also offers insights as to the circumstances most likely to lead to negative reputation. “Intentional wrongdoing or illegal actions by corporate leaders” was cited by 85 percent of respondents as the greatest threat to corporate goodwill, trailed closely by “lying or misinterpreting the facts about a product or service” at 83 percent. “Product recall due to contamination” was the seventh-greatest risk, according to the poll, at 65 percent.

In Samsung’s case, the Galaxy Note 7 exploding battery debacle and arrest of vice chairman Lee Jae-Yong following a monthslong investigation stemming from charges of bribery and embezzlement align with the risks, and provide an explanation to the company’s fall from grace.

That said, it could have been much worse. Samsung’s Reputation Quotient score drop of 5.3 points year-over-year is a far cry from Volkswagen’s 20.5-point margin at the start of 2016 as a consequence of the Dieselgate controversy, when the automaker was found to have lied about the emissions levels of millions of its vehicles worldwide. That set an all-time Harris Poll record last year and was only outdone by Wells Fargo’s performance in this most recent study. The banking giant, embattled by a scandal in which it opened millions of unauthorized accounts without customers’ approval, has fallen 20.6 points.

Samsung’s relatively swift recall of the Galaxy Note 7 and announcement of stricter battery safety protocols likely mitigated what could have been an even greater public relations crisis. As the company gears up for the launch of its upcoming flagship Galaxy S8, expected to arrive in the spring, it has repeatedly assured prospective customers that it has learned from its mistakes and immediately taken those lessons to heart in developing future products.

Editors' Recommendations

Adam Ismail
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Adam’s obsession with tech began at a young age, with a Sega Dreamcast – and he’s been hooked ever since. Previously…
The best accessories for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra
Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra.

So you've got your hands on a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 -- or picked its curvier cousin, the Note 20 Ultra, which our reviewer described as the biggest, baddest, most hardcore flagship smartphone you can buy today. Unsurprisingly, now you're shopping for accessories to get a bit more out of your gorgeous new device. There's plenty of choice out there if you're looking to accessorize your phone, so how do you work out what's worth your hard-earned cash? We've already rounded up some of the best Galaxy Note 20 cases and the best cases for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra too, though we'll include a couple of our favorites right here. Our selection includes some of the best Samsung Galaxy Note 20 accessories you can find right now, from stands to earbuds and portable chargers for your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra.
PowerA MOGA XP5-X Plus Bluetooth Controller

The Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra both boast powerful processors and large displays perfect for gaming -- and if you're serious about your games, you'll want to invest in a controller. This one from PowerA is ideal if you're already an Xbox owner as it's designed for cross-platform support with Xbox's services. With wireless Bluetooth connectivity, a detachable phone grip, and mappable Advanced Gaming Buttons, it's a must for gamers. We've rounded up some of the best controllers for Android phones too, if you need more choice.

Read more
The best Samsung Galaxy Note 20 screen protectors
Galaxy Note 20 Screen

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 remains one big beast of a smartphone. Featuring a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, it provides some serious touchscreen for its price, trumping last year's already large Note 10. It's also a very attractive smartphone overall, boasting those distinctive angular edges and a beautiful Mystic Bronze color. Of course, a phone's good looks can easily be tarnished by drops, bumps, and scratches, so we've put together a list of the best Samsung Galaxy Note 20 screen protectors available right now. If you've opted for the Note 20's bigger brother, you'll find we've also chosen some of the best screen protectors for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

From the more affordable to the Samsung-approved, these protectors will do a good job of keeping your Note 20's screen free of scratches, cracks, and chips.
Tech21 Impact Shield

Read more
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G gets a U.S launch. Can it compete with the iPad?
samsung galaxy tab fe 5g us release price availability s7

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G is finally getting a U.S. launch and price details after previously having been announced for other markets in May. The S7 FE is a new version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus. Like other “Fan Edition” devices like the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, it acts as a more affordable, mid-range option next to Samsung’s premium lineup, but stands a step above the budget Galaxy Tab A series.

The Tab S7 FE 5G will be available starting August 5 for $669 directly from Samsung.com, AT&T, and Verizon. T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and other retailers will also get it in the following days. The 5G model will only come in Mystic Black, while the Wi-Fi version comes with various color options including black, silver, light green, and light pink.

Read more