According to a survey by the Reputation Institute in New York, Google, Sony and Walt Disney have the best reputation in the world, but in the gastronomic sector, Parma’s Barilla takes the top spot.
The survey, which analyzed 600 of the world’s largest companies, found that the success of Barilla, Italy’s largest pasta maker, was the result of the ‘positive association it created between its products, its communication strategy and the involvement of people.’ Although Barilla took the 19th spot overall, it was the highest-ranked Italian company in terms of ‘good reputation’ and the best-rated food company in the world. The survey questioned consumers in 24 countries and in all continents. Those surveyed rated companies on the quality of products and services, the level of innovation, the quality of working conditions, overall management, financial performance and market leadership.
The Barilla Group was established in 1877 with the opening of a small shop that made fresh pasta and bread. Today, it is one of Italy’s most important food companies and a global leader in the pasta market. The firm owns 52 production plants (13 in Italy and 39 abroad) and exports in over 125 countries. It produces more than 2,700,000 tonnes of food annually and has a vast product line.
