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Which companies in Spain have the best reputation? Top 100 revealed
11/07/2022
THIS year's ranking of the companies in Spain with the best public reputation is now out, and once again, is topped by the two corporations run by the country's wealthiest families – although they have swapped places.
Mercadona supermarkets, which started out life as a small grocery shop in the province of Valencia run by the Roig family and now extends across Spain and Portugal, has been at number two for the past decade, whilst Inditex, the clothing empire whose star brand is Zara, owned by Spain's richest man, Amancio Ortega, has been at number one for all that time.
Now, Mercadona – which is still owned 100% by the Roig family and does not float its shares on the stock market – is top, with Inditex, currently under management by Amancio's daughter Marta Ortega, is second.
It is followed by the ONCE Social Group, or the corporate arm of the national charity for the blind, which sells daily lottery tickets to fund its support network, including its guide dog foundation.
ONCE has not moved from the 2021 ranking, keeping its third place in the list.
Over half the companies mentioned were Spanish creations, rather than international corporations that operate in Spain, as are 70% of the top 10 and top 20.
How 'reputation' is analysed and scored
Every year, the Madrid-based marketing consultancy Merco ranks companies with a turnover of at least €50 million per annum according to their reputation in their country of operation – in Spain and several Latin American nations – through an exhaustive process involving questionnaires, economic and business analysts at universities and commercial colleges, consumer associations, social media feedback, and a host of other independent sources.
Surveys are sent to boards of directors at companies that qualify, and in which they are required to comment on their perceptions of other players in all sectors in the market, not including their own or any brand or holding within their group.
Charities and other non-profit organisations are asked to evaluate ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR), and leading consumer groups such as the OCU and FACUA are approached for detailed analyses on quality of product and service – value for money, and how far customers' rights are protected.
Unions' views are sought on how staff are treated, including equality, pay scales, working conditions, job atmosphere and daily working life, career opportunities where relevant, openness, and individual companies' investment in and commitment to employment on a national scale – safeguarding jobs, opening up new vacancies, and avoiding redundancies, among other factors.
Financial and business reporters, in specialist and general media, plus social media managers, and government bodies, all offer their input on overall corporate strategy, ethics, contribution to society, innovation, digitalisation, honesty and transparency, competitive strategy, and modern outlook.
Small and medium-sized businesses are approached for their contribution, to evaluate how far large corporations respect the rules and ethics relating to fair contribution, and how they treat their suppliers and contract workers.
All data compiled were analysed independently by KPMG in accordance with international and European quality standards (ISAE3000); for this reason, KPMG never appears in the ranking, even though it would otherwise qualify.
Corporations in the top 20
Getting into the top 100 in Spain is a major achievement, and points scored ranged from Mercadona's 10,000 to the 3,000 earned by EcoAlf, a clothing chain whose wares are made entirely from recycled plastic waste – including sea plastic – organic or recycled cotton, nylon from discarded fishing nets, used car tyres, and just about anything else that could otherwise end up as non-biodegradable waste.
After Mercadona, Inditex and Grupo Social ONCE, national telecommunications giant Telefónica, and insurance firm MAPFRE, in that order, complete the top five.
In descending order from six to 10 are service station and petroleum giant Repsol, Swedish furniture chain Ikea – the highest on the list not originally a Spanish company – Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and the health and life insurance firm Mutua Madrileña.
The rest of the top 20 are – from 11 to 20 inclusive – Banco Santander, El Corte Inglés department store chain, Mahou San Miguel beer manufacturers, national electricity board Iberdrola, Caixabank, DIY chain Leroy Merlín, Heineken beer manufacturers, BBVA bank, Campofrío Food Group, and online retail giant Amazon.
Who's in the top 50
Spain's most famous motor brand, Seat – based in Martorell (Barcelona province) – comes in at 21, followed by sportswear and equipment chain Decathlon, dairy producer Pascual, HP (computers and printers, formerly Hewlett-Packard), Meliá Hotels International, Galicia-based food group Hijos de Rivera (which owns Estrella Galicia beer manufacturers), private healthcare providers QuirónSalud, yoghurt and other dairy producers Danone, the privately-managed hospital Clínica Universidad de Navarra (which is, in fact, in Madrid as well as Pamplona), and completing the top 30, the late Steve Jobs' technology corporation Apple.
The Corporación Hijos de Rivera has soared in terms of its reputation this year, shooting up from number 49 in 2021 to 26 in 2022.
Just falling outside the top 30 is Google, at 31, followed by Dutch high-street financial entity Bankinter, rail board RENFE, two technology manufacturers – Samsung and Siemens – health insurer Sanitas, beer manufacturers Damm (behind Estrella Damm lager), NH Hotel Group, German pharmaceutical firm Bayer, and Bill Gates' empire Microsoft, rounding off the top 40.
From 41 to 50, in descending order, are the toiletries and household hygiene firm P&G, or Procter & Gamble – whose brands range from Oral-B and Ariel through to Tampax, Dodot nappies through to Aussie, Herbal Essences and Head & Shoulders shampoo and conditioner – Banco Sabadell, supermarket chain Eroski, insurance company AXA, infrastructure management and development firm Acciona, involved in construction, mains water, renewable energy installations and similar, pharmaceuticals giant (and retailer of one of the main Covid vaccines used in Spain) Pfizer, national post office firm Correos, low-cost home and car insurer Línea Directa (retailing as 'Direct Line' in the UK), French hypermarkets Carrefour, and electricity provider Endesa.
Motor, education, and accountants dominate numbers 51 to 80
Coach company ALSA, petroleum firm and service-station chain CEPSA, cosmetics brand L'Oréal, budget high-street fashion chain Mango, ING Bank, luxury motor brand Mercedes-Benz, mains gas and electricity provider Naturgy, the Madrid-based private international higher education college IE University, Barceló Hotel Group, Barcelona-based private business and law college ESADE, Valencia-based business and marketing college ESIC, telecommunications company Orange (retailing as EE in the UK), German health insurance company DKV, Spain's largest solicitors' firm chain Garrigues, family-saloon motor dealership BMW, accountants and financial analysts Deloitte, insurance firm Santalucía Seguros, film and TV series platform Netflix, technology consultation firm Accenture, and Triodos Bank make up the ranking from 51 to 70 inclusive.
Completing the top 80 are, from 71 downwards, EY – otherwise known as Ernst & Young accountants, legal and tax advisors – railway infrastructure company Ferrovial, Japanese motor dealership Toyota, accountants and financial analysts PwC (formerly Price Waterhouse Cooper), the underground transport company in Spain's capital, Metro de Madrid, technology hardware manufacturers IBM, motor vehicle parts manufacturers Grupo Antolín, EAE Business School, Cerealto Siro Foods, and Elon Musk's technology corporation Tesla.
Mango has rocketed in the rankings this year, from number 77 in 2021 to number 54 in 2022, as has Orange – formerly number 84, and now number 62 – and Ferrovial, which was at 89 in 2021 and is currently in the 72nd slot.
Medical and pharmaceutical companies, and transport technology
The first entry for an airline comes at 81, with IAG – the firm that owns Iberia and British Airways – and aircraft builder Airbus sits at number 85; all other transport-based companies in the top 100 until now have been car or car part manufacturers, or rail or coach service or infrastructure providers.
Cosmetics, hygiene and pharmaceutical laboratories Johnson & Johnson, whose single-shot Covid dose retails on the continent under the firm's title in Belgium, Janssen, is at 82, and motor engineering and parts firm Gestamp, and La Fageda food group fill the gap between IAG and Airbus.
Management consultancy Indra, pharmaceutical companies Novartis and Unilever, construction materials manufacturer 3M (otherwise known as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company), travel technology solutions company Amadeus, high-street financial entities Abanca and Kutxabank, IESE Business School, telecommunications firm Cellnex, and car-sharing network Cabify are ranked from 86 to 95.
The final five in the top 100 are Grifols, a laboratory which develops medications derived from plasma, clinical nutrition, drip-based medicines, healthcare products in general and diagnostics systems; electricity board Holaluz (which uses 100% renewable energy sources); construction company Grupo ACS; telecommunications network operator Vodafone, and then Ecoalf.
Related Topics
THIS year's ranking of the companies in Spain with the best public reputation is now out, and once again, is topped by the two corporations run by the country's wealthiest families – although they have swapped places.
Mercadona supermarkets, which started out life as a small grocery shop in the province of Valencia run by the Roig family and now extends across Spain and Portugal, has been at number two for the past decade, whilst Inditex, the clothing empire whose star brand is Zara, owned by Spain's richest man, Amancio Ortega, has been at number one for all that time.
Now, Mercadona – which is still owned 100% by the Roig family and does not float its shares on the stock market – is top, with Inditex, currently under management by Amancio's daughter Marta Ortega, is second.
It is followed by the ONCE Social Group, or the corporate arm of the national charity for the blind, which sells daily lottery tickets to fund its support network, including its guide dog foundation.
ONCE has not moved from the 2021 ranking, keeping its third place in the list.
Over half the companies mentioned were Spanish creations, rather than international corporations that operate in Spain, as are 70% of the top 10 and top 20.
How 'reputation' is analysed and scored
Every year, the Madrid-based marketing consultancy Merco ranks companies with a turnover of at least €50 million per annum according to their reputation in their country of operation – in Spain and several Latin American nations – through an exhaustive process involving questionnaires, economic and business analysts at universities and commercial colleges, consumer associations, social media feedback, and a host of other independent sources.
Surveys are sent to boards of directors at companies that qualify, and in which they are required to comment on their perceptions of other players in all sectors in the market, not including their own or any brand or holding within their group.
Charities and other non-profit organisations are asked to evaluate ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR), and leading consumer groups such as the OCU and FACUA are approached for detailed analyses on quality of product and service – value for money, and how far customers' rights are protected.
Unions' views are sought on how staff are treated, including equality, pay scales, working conditions, job atmosphere and daily working life, career opportunities where relevant, openness, and individual companies' investment in and commitment to employment on a national scale – safeguarding jobs, opening up new vacancies, and avoiding redundancies, among other factors.
Financial and business reporters, in specialist and general media, plus social media managers, and government bodies, all offer their input on overall corporate strategy, ethics, contribution to society, innovation, digitalisation, honesty and transparency, competitive strategy, and modern outlook.
Small and medium-sized businesses are approached for their contribution, to evaluate how far large corporations respect the rules and ethics relating to fair contribution, and how they treat their suppliers and contract workers.
All data compiled were analysed independently by KPMG in accordance with international and European quality standards (ISAE3000); for this reason, KPMG never appears in the ranking, even though it would otherwise qualify.
Corporations in the top 20
Getting into the top 100 in Spain is a major achievement, and points scored ranged from Mercadona's 10,000 to the 3,000 earned by EcoAlf, a clothing chain whose wares are made entirely from recycled plastic waste – including sea plastic – organic or recycled cotton, nylon from discarded fishing nets, used car tyres, and just about anything else that could otherwise end up as non-biodegradable waste.
After Mercadona, Inditex and Grupo Social ONCE, national telecommunications giant Telefónica, and insurance firm MAPFRE, in that order, complete the top five.
In descending order from six to 10 are service station and petroleum giant Repsol, Swedish furniture chain Ikea – the highest on the list not originally a Spanish company – Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and the health and life insurance firm Mutua Madrileña.
The rest of the top 20 are – from 11 to 20 inclusive – Banco Santander, El Corte Inglés department store chain, Mahou San Miguel beer manufacturers, national electricity board Iberdrola, Caixabank, DIY chain Leroy Merlín, Heineken beer manufacturers, BBVA bank, Campofrío Food Group, and online retail giant Amazon.
Who's in the top 50
Spain's most famous motor brand, Seat – based in Martorell (Barcelona province) – comes in at 21, followed by sportswear and equipment chain Decathlon, dairy producer Pascual, HP (computers and printers, formerly Hewlett-Packard), Meliá Hotels International, Galicia-based food group Hijos de Rivera (which owns Estrella Galicia beer manufacturers), private healthcare providers QuirónSalud, yoghurt and other dairy producers Danone, the privately-managed hospital Clínica Universidad de Navarra (which is, in fact, in Madrid as well as Pamplona), and completing the top 30, the late Steve Jobs' technology corporation Apple.
The Corporación Hijos de Rivera has soared in terms of its reputation this year, shooting up from number 49 in 2021 to 26 in 2022.
Just falling outside the top 30 is Google, at 31, followed by Dutch high-street financial entity Bankinter, rail board RENFE, two technology manufacturers – Samsung and Siemens – health insurer Sanitas, beer manufacturers Damm (behind Estrella Damm lager), NH Hotel Group, German pharmaceutical firm Bayer, and Bill Gates' empire Microsoft, rounding off the top 40.
From 41 to 50, in descending order, are the toiletries and household hygiene firm P&G, or Procter & Gamble – whose brands range from Oral-B and Ariel through to Tampax, Dodot nappies through to Aussie, Herbal Essences and Head & Shoulders shampoo and conditioner – Banco Sabadell, supermarket chain Eroski, insurance company AXA, infrastructure management and development firm Acciona, involved in construction, mains water, renewable energy installations and similar, pharmaceuticals giant (and retailer of one of the main Covid vaccines used in Spain) Pfizer, national post office firm Correos, low-cost home and car insurer Línea Directa (retailing as 'Direct Line' in the UK), French hypermarkets Carrefour, and electricity provider Endesa.
Motor, education, and accountants dominate numbers 51 to 80
Coach company ALSA, petroleum firm and service-station chain CEPSA, cosmetics brand L'Oréal, budget high-street fashion chain Mango, ING Bank, luxury motor brand Mercedes-Benz, mains gas and electricity provider Naturgy, the Madrid-based private international higher education college IE University, Barceló Hotel Group, Barcelona-based private business and law college ESADE, Valencia-based business and marketing college ESIC, telecommunications company Orange (retailing as EE in the UK), German health insurance company DKV, Spain's largest solicitors' firm chain Garrigues, family-saloon motor dealership BMW, accountants and financial analysts Deloitte, insurance firm Santalucía Seguros, film and TV series platform Netflix, technology consultation firm Accenture, and Triodos Bank make up the ranking from 51 to 70 inclusive.
Completing the top 80 are, from 71 downwards, EY – otherwise known as Ernst & Young accountants, legal and tax advisors – railway infrastructure company Ferrovial, Japanese motor dealership Toyota, accountants and financial analysts PwC (formerly Price Waterhouse Cooper), the underground transport company in Spain's capital, Metro de Madrid, technology hardware manufacturers IBM, motor vehicle parts manufacturers Grupo Antolín, EAE Business School, Cerealto Siro Foods, and Elon Musk's technology corporation Tesla.
Mango has rocketed in the rankings this year, from number 77 in 2021 to number 54 in 2022, as has Orange – formerly number 84, and now number 62 – and Ferrovial, which was at 89 in 2021 and is currently in the 72nd slot.
Medical and pharmaceutical companies, and transport technology
The first entry for an airline comes at 81, with IAG – the firm that owns Iberia and British Airways – and aircraft builder Airbus sits at number 85; all other transport-based companies in the top 100 until now have been car or car part manufacturers, or rail or coach service or infrastructure providers.
Cosmetics, hygiene and pharmaceutical laboratories Johnson & Johnson, whose single-shot Covid dose retails on the continent under the firm's title in Belgium, Janssen, is at 82, and motor engineering and parts firm Gestamp, and La Fageda food group fill the gap between IAG and Airbus.
Management consultancy Indra, pharmaceutical companies Novartis and Unilever, construction materials manufacturer 3M (otherwise known as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company), travel technology solutions company Amadeus, high-street financial entities Abanca and Kutxabank, IESE Business School, telecommunications firm Cellnex, and car-sharing network Cabify are ranked from 86 to 95.
The final five in the top 100 are Grifols, a laboratory which develops medications derived from plasma, clinical nutrition, drip-based medicines, healthcare products in general and diagnostics systems; electricity board Holaluz (which uses 100% renewable energy sources); construction company Grupo ACS; telecommunications network operator Vodafone, and then Ecoalf.
Related Topics
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