Healthcare has a reputation halo in the eyes of U.S. consumers, who ranked the sector as the only industry whose reputations rose between 2017 and 2018.

But consumers separate the pharma industry from healthcare: prescription drug manufacturers’ reputation took the second-largest fall, just behind the airline industry. Pharma and airlines were the lowest-ranked industries, along with telecomms and energy.

The Reputation Institute has published its annual 2018 US RepTrak Industry Rankings, finding that all industries but healthcare took negative hits on reputation from 2017 to 2018. The study asks consumers to rate the most reputable companies in their daily lives.

The top-ranked company in 2018 is Campbell’s, part of the “Big Food” industry. While that sector has taken hits over the past decade being blamed for the fueling the obesity epidemic, failing kids’ nutrition, and being environmentally wasteful, Campbell’s has done a mindful turnaround in terms of nutrition, wholesomeness, and corporate social responsibility. “Jumping 30 spots to No. 1 with a score of 82.2, the New Jersey-headquartered brand has been warming its way into American hearts with Goldfish-topped tomato soup for nearly 150 years….Campbell has placed corporate social responsibility at the center of its business model, championing projects that fight hunger and launching a line of affordable and natural soups. Even more notably, Campbell has embraced transparency….Through “What’s In My Food,” an easy-to-search database cataloging the company’s products and the ingredients they contain, Campbell has demonstrated an investment in the well-being of its customers,” Forbes’ coverage on the rankings noted.

Health Populi’s Hot Points: “Well-being” is what Campbell’s is cooking up in their new-and-improved corporate strategy that bounced them from #31 in 2017 to #30 in 2018. Looking at the list of the top 100 companies based on reputation, shown here, many top-ranked companies cook health and wellness into their offerings — even without being in the healthcare segment with CVS (#59).

The European-based grocer Aldi (#49) is expanding in the U.S. and is becoming beloved for value-priced healthy food. LEGO (#14) fosters play and imagination built on the roots of its Danish name, “Leg godt,” meaning, “play well.” Williams-Sonoma supports the serious home cook, looking to convene family-and-friend meals around the table fostering food-as-love. Philips (#85) has doubled-down on digital health. Kohler and Bosch (#35 and #78) make things for the smart home. Finally, Nike (#2), New Balance (#63), adidas (#55), and Under Armour (#26) all support sports and being the best athlete that lies within us.

The Campbell’s story outlined in the third graphic tells its fundamental health/wellness strategy, which is the halo that consumers have gifted to the company’s reputation. The commitment to being a “health and well-being” food company; sustainability; focus on community well-being; global health; trust and transparency; and, the campaign for “What’s In My Food” combine as smart tactical ingredients to bolster the company’s reputation above all companies — as an organization with whom consumers can engage for their own and their families’ health and well-being.

Sounds mmm, mmm good to me! This ad from 1959 includes lyrics mentioning “vitamins, proteins and minerals” – portending CEO Denise Morrison’s 21st century strategy to turn the company around.