Looks like Big Tech companies including Facebook and Google, as well as the federal government, could learn a thing or two from Wegmans.

The Gates-based grocery chain is the company with the best reputation in 2019, according to the Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, which measures the reputations of the 100 most visible U.S. companies as perceived by the public.

The supermarket chain's No. 1 rating reflects its ability to "build an experience and a community in its stores," said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll.

Last year, Wegmans ranked No. 2.

How the poll works

The survey was conducted among 18,228 Americans in a nationally representative sample and "is a measurement of what real people think right now about the companies in our cultural conversation," according to The Harris Poll website.

“Ours is a family company where we all work together to demonstrate the shared values that are important to our customers, the communities we serve and to each of us,” Colleen Wegman, president and CEO, said in a statement.

The Reputation Quotient also notes high-profile companies whose reputations have faltered in the past year, such as Facebook, which took the biggest dip. The massive social network dropped to No. 94 from No. 51 in 2018.

Last October, news leaked that nearly 30 million Facebook users had their data stolen by hackers. That breach of privacy — and other miscues such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which as many as 87 million had their data improperly shared — caused Facebook to fall out of favor with the American public, Gerzema said.

Why tech companies fell

Other Big Tech companies' reputations also have suffered because of data breaches. Apple, which was No. 1 in 2012, slid from No. 29 in 2018 to No. 32 in 2019. And Google, which was No. 8 in 2017 and No. 28 in 2018, dropped down to No. 42 this year.

In addition, Gerzema said, Big Tech companies have become "front and center as a societal fear.” According to Harrison Poll data, 80 percent of Americans said that social networks are creating an identity crisis in young adults, and 67 percent said technology has a negative impact on social values.

On the flip side, outdoor retailers Patagonia and L.L. Bean saw their Reputation Quotient rankings rise. Patagonia moved to No. 3 from No. 9 in 2019; L.L. Bean went from No. 15 to No. 4.

Another reason companies may rank high on the Harris Poll list is their commitment to social values, Gerzema said. For example, he noted that Patagonia "walks its talk" as the company pledges at least 1 percent of sales or 10 percent of pre-tax profits (whichever is more) to environmental groups.

"It’s important for companies to understand how important values are today," he said.

Meanwhile, the enterprise with the worst reputation on the 2019 list is the U.S. government, which bottoms it out at No. 100. While Gerzema clarified that government is not a company, survey respondents named it as one of the most visible "companies" in the country.

Wegmans customers and employees will celebrate the chain's No. 1 ranking at 11 a.m. Saturday, when cake will be served at every Wegmans store. Clementine tangerines will be available to customers who want a healthier option.

You can read the complete Reputation Quotient list on the Harris Poll website.

MGREENWO@Gannett.com

Top 10 of the Reputation Quotient