The Walt Disney Firm has seen its popularity fall additional, with a drop to solely “honest” for the primary time ever on the influential Axios Harris Ballot for 2025. This submit takes a have a look at what modified, how Disney carried out relative to the competitors, together with our commentary about what this does–and doesn’t–imply.
It’s been a tough few years for Disney’s popularity. It is a subject we’ve mentioned at size, with Is Disney Ruining Its Fame? and Disney’s Fame Falls Additional protecting the corporate’s self-inflicted model injury, lack of goodwill, and pricing notion issues. These posts targeted particularly on prior years of this Axios Harris popularity ballot.
As of 2025, the main target has shifted. Fan issues about Disney’s tarnished popularity are nonetheless entrance of thoughts, however we’ve seen the tone and tenor of these change. Look no additional than Is Walt Disney World Pricing Out the Center Class? That was one submit in an ongoing sequence (see Walt Disney World is Nervous About Its Excessive Costs). Suffice to say, pricing could be very a lot a hot-button subject with Disney followers, and for good motive.
Considerations about pricing are very a lot mirrored within the Axios Harris Ballot 100 and 2025 Company Fame Rankings. This 12 months, Dealer Joe’s ranked #1, adopted by many different value-prioritizing corporations. This included Costco and Arizona Beverage Firm, each of which have gained on-line fame and dependable fan-followings for his or her dedication to low costs.
Jim Sinegal, Costco’s co-founder, as soon as informed the corporate’s then-CEO Craig Jelinek, “In the event you elevate the effing sizzling canine, I’ll kill you. Determine it out.” And so, Costco’s sizzling canine deal continues to be priced at $1.50. That’s precisely what it value in 1985, earlier than the Nice Recession, housing disaster, pandemic, and the most recent bout of decades-high inflation.
Equally, the 23-ounce can of AriZona Iced Tea has offered for 99 cents since 1992. Even amidst inflation and shrinkflation, AriZona has held sturdy. When requested on the At this time present whether or not they’d elevate costs, the corporate’s founder mentioned: “Not within the foreseeable future. We’re gonna struggle as arduous as we are able to for customers.” He added that AriZona is profitable, debt free, so why do they should elevate costs? He continued: “Why have people who find themselves having a tough time paying their lease should pay extra for our drink? Possibly it’s my little strategy to give again.”
I’d even be remiss if I didn’t point out that one in every of my private favourite manufacturers, In-N-Out Burger, made the listing for the primary time ever at #20. Its exclusion prior to now seemingly has extra to do with methodology and consciousness since In-N-Out Burger is a regional model. It’s however a hit story of value-for-money, top quality, and concern for patrons.
Sadly, there are not any enjoyable anecdotes about In-N-Out’s founders threatening to homicide anybody in the event that they elevate costs, which is probably going as a result of the family-run enterprise tries to keep away from the highlight. And maybe as a result of they’re anti-murder. Arduous to say. Right here’s hoping that Buc-ee’s breaks by way of on the 2026 listing!
Because it seems, pricing is the predominant theme of the 2025 Axios Harris Rankings. In response to the pollsters, customers criticized companies for passing alongside increased prices, delivering poorer perceived high quality for his or her stretched {dollars}, and even capitalizing on tariffs to pad revenue margins:
- 77% of People say corporations usually promote lower-quality merchandise & providers whereas charging increased costs.
- 70% consider corporations are taking additional benefit of inflation to extend revenue margins.
- 60% really feel corporations will use tariffs as a chance to boost costs greater than wanted to spice up income.
In response to Axios, it’s costs versus politics which are driving most manufacturers’ reputations within the 2025 Axios Harris Ballot 100 rankings, with the election within the rear-view mirror and tariffs and inflation prime of thoughts. None of those priorities are in the least shocking, and it’s additionally unsurprising that Disney would possibly’ve fared negatively on a ballot the place customers are fixated on prices.
Towards that backdrop, right here’s a have a look at Disney’s 2025 efficiency:
In 2025, the Walt Disney Firm ranked #76 with a rating of 69.6. It’s down 9 spots, which is much from the primary time it’s been one of many corporations that has taken the largest tumbles within the rankings. That is the primary time we’ve ever seen the rating dip under 70, and places Disney into the “honest” tier for the primary time ever. Whereas we’ll elaborate on this additional in a bit, have a look at the little gray graphic to the left of the 69.6 rating.
That exhibits Disney’s rankings development since 2019, as the corporate has fallen from the highest of the listing to outdoors the highest 75. In the event you have a look at the total listing, you’ll see nearly no different corporations have seen this similar kind of slide. There are solely two others–Boeing and Tesla–which have declined in the identical method during the last 5+ years.
Right here’s a have a look at simply how a lot Disney has dropped since 2019, alongside different poor performers:
In 2024, Disney ranked #67 with a rating of 71.8 and was within the “good” tier of the listing. This might’ve been seen as a comeback story, with the corporate gaining 10 spots and exhibiting optimistic trajectory for the primary time in a number of years.
That got here off the corporate’s worst efficiency ever in 2023, when the Walt Disney Firm had a rating of 70.9 and ranked 77th, which was nonetheless within the “good” tier of the listing. It’s within the “honest” increased with the next rating as a result of most corporations noticed their scores lower this 12 months.
In 2022, Disney scored 73.4 and ranked sixty fifth on the listing, which was a drop of 28 spots as in comparison with 2021–which means that the corporate was down 40 spots in the middle of only a couple years.
In the course of Bob Iger’s first tenure as CEO, Disney had scored above 80, all the time close to the highest of the listing within the “Wonderful” tier. Right here’s a have a look at the consecutive years when Disney ranked as excessive as #5 on the listing:
Earlier than going additional, it’s price noting that there’s inconsistency within the rankings. Southwest Airways dropped, however nonetheless ranks fairly excessive given the 12 months it has had. Then there are corporations like Walmart and McDonald’s, each of which have made a concerted effort to revive decrease costs in some regards and nonetheless underperformed.
I’ll additionally admit to being shocked by a number of oil, pharmaceutical, and playing corporations outperform Disney (in addition to different extra consumer-oriented manufacturers). In the event you requested the query in a different way–which model do you respect extra, BP or Disney?–I’d think about extra People would favor Disney. Ditto ExxonMobil vs. Taco Bell.
It’s potential that the Harris Ballot is a flawed strategy to rank sure excessive profile corporations and a great way to rank others. There are lots of manufacturers we’re usually conscious of, however don’t hear about with regularity. The typical American most likely doesn’t know a lot about these companies, which might clarify why many of those corporations yo-yo across the rankings.
In contrast, there are corporations like Disney the place the popularity is a component and parcel of the model itself. There are a number of life-style manufacturers like this, which have precise lovers and a wider diploma of consciousness among the many common public. Except for Disney, corporations that come to thoughts right here embrace Apple, Starbucks, Nike, Tesla, SpaceX, Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Nintendo, and Dealer Joe’s. There are undoubtedly others, as properly.
Beneath is Disney’s 2025 breakdown within the particular person class scores of Character, Trajectory, Belief, Tradition, Ethics, Citizenship, Imaginative and prescient, Development, and Merchandise & Providers. On the plus aspect, a minimum of the ‘trajectory’ is excessive–suggesting there is optimism for the place issues are headed:
The plot twist right here is that, regardless of the pollsters indicating that the 2025 Axios Harris popularity survey had extra to do with costs than politics, the Walt Disney Firm is definitely one of many few exceptions to this.
In response to Axios, Ben & Jerry’s (+16.4 D), Pfizer (+13.3 D) and the Walt Disney Firm (+12.3 D) are essentially the most polarizing corporations that skew essentially the most in the direction of Democratic customers by way of reputational perceptions. Conversely, there are even larger gaps for the businesses that almost all skew towards Republicans: Elon Musk-brands Tesla (+32.3 R), X (+29.5 R) and House X (+28.7 R); and the Trump Group (+45.3 R).
With these notable exceptions, polarization scores have largely decreased throughout the rankings as an entire (therefore costs mattering greater than politics). “Are we now getting into an period of post-polarization?” questioned John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Ballot. “We used to get so upset by the tradition wars, and now absolutely the dominant precedence and a spotlight has been targeted by the buyer on worth.”
To that time, 8 in 10 customers informed the pollsters that they care extra about how manufacturers can hold costs down than their politics. Nonetheless, 2 in 3 say they aren’t excited by supporting corporations which have turn out to be too political. However two-thirds additionally say political polarization in enterprise is inevitable.
It’s additionally price noting that corporations like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, and Chick-fil-A all ranked very extremely regardless of politics. This might vindicate a “high quality will win out” perspective, the place customers are prepared to miss variations of opinion if manufacturers ship high quality merchandise individuals love. Or maybe that sincerely-held however quiet beliefs are extra accepted? I do know in regards to the politics of all three manufacturers, however their CEOs aren’t making fixed headlines trumpeting their values.
With regard to Disney, what’s fascinating is that the corporate has discovered itself mired in varied political controversies–there’s no denying that. However these appeared to peak a few years in the past and have died down during the last ~18 months. The final 12 months specifically has been largely controversy-free for the corporate, a minimum of by way of protection you’d see on the nightly information. Disney vs. DeSantis is long-settled, the final proxy struggle has been over for some time, and it’s been over a 12 months because the dust-up between Bob Iger and Elon Musk.
Since late 2023, CEO Bob Iger more and more has burdened the significance of steering the corporate away from political messaging. “Our main mission must be to entertain after which by way of our leisure to proceed to have a optimistic impression on the world. And I’m very severe about that. It shouldn’t be agenda-driven,” Iger mentioned in the course of the firm’s 2023 investor assembly.
He has made comparable statements on CNBC repeatedly, noting that he would “quiet the noise” in tradition wars and make extra of an effort to achieve the viewers that “will be turned off by sure issues…We simply should be extra delicate to the pursuits of a broad viewers. It’s not simple.” Throughout the 2024 investor assembly, Iger mentioned Disney’s job was to “entertain, in the beginning” and reiterated that “we all know our job is to not advance any form of agenda.”
It doesn’t finish there, both. In “‘Politics is unhealthy for enterprise.’ Why Disney’s Bob Iger is making an attempt to keep away from sizzling buttons,” the Los Angeles Occasions supplied a rundown of how and why the Walt Disney Firm has backed away from the tradition wars and tried to take away itself from controversies.
The Walt Disney Firm has largely repaired its relationships with main U.S. political figures. Though it hasn’t garnered a lot media consideration, Governor DeSantis has touted Disney’s investments in Florida and hasn’t had any negatives–solely positives–to say about Disney during the last 12 months.
Disney CEO Bob Iger and President Donald Trump have seemingly resolved their variations. Throughout a press convention in Abu Dhabi to debate investments between the UAE and US, Trump revealed that Iger paid a go to to the White Home to point out him Disneyland Abu Dhabi.
Right here’s what Trump needed to say in regards to the assembly with Iger: “Now we have American corporations [like] Disney [investing in the Middle East]. The brand new [Disneyland Abu Dhabi] theme park goes to be unbelievable. Bob Iger was in my workplace the opposite day and he was exhibiting it to me. It’s going to be unbelievable.” Iger assembly with Trump is essentially the most notable instance, but it surely’s just one occasion of many suggesting that the 2 have repaired their previously-strained relationship.
It’s fascinating that this Disney’s politically polarized popularity has been so “sticky” and hasn’t actually mirrored the controversy-free 12 months that Disney has loved. When making an attempt to recall important backlash inside the final 6 months, the perfect I can provide you with is the Snow White. That might’ve been launched proper as this polling was performed, so maybe that’s the massive driver?
There are definitely assorted “controversies” inside the fan neighborhood, however so far as the broader Disney-consuming public goes, I can’t actually consider anything from the final ~12 months. It’s been a principally optimistic 12 months for Disney on stability, with sturdy field workplace outcomes, increased visitor satisfaction scores for the parks, and an rising Disney+ home subscriber rely.
Maybe most notably for broader public perceptions, Disney dominated the field workplace final 12 months. Inside Out 2, Moana 2, and Deadpool & Wolverine have been all big hits. Different movies carried out rather well and added to Disney’s field workplace haul, however I’m skeptical these films (e.g. Alien Romulus) would register with the general public as being “Disney,” and that’s what issues for the aim of the survey.
Star Wars and Marvel have continued to underperform expectations, and there’s undeniably lots of breathless protection about this on-line. It’s tough to discern the extent to which that is natural and mainstream, and the extent to which it’s manufactured outrage on-line pushed by ragebait. As somebody with solely a passing curiosity in each Star Wars and the MCU, my notion is simply that the standard is low as a result of an excessive amount of of it has been churned out. I’m inclined to consider “fatigue” and unhealthy evaluations/phrase of mouth are an even bigger driver of this than politicized content material.
Personally, I’m skeptical that any bulletins the corporate has made for the theme parks would materially impression their popularity. Disgruntled theme park followers might not wish to hear this, and level to unpopular choices like changing MuppetVision, razing the Rivers of America, poorly-received experience reimaginings, DAS modifications, Lightning Lane Premier Move, and so forth.
A lot of that is unpopular with hardcore followers, however not most people. If it’s on their radar in any respect (and it principally isn’t), the notion might be very totally different. Once I’ve defined to normie mates what’s taking place, they’re extra targeted on the Monsters, Inc. Doorways Coaster and Vehicles Land components of the information.
A few of this has ‘damaged containment’ from our sphere, however actually, every time I see protection of the Rivers of America in mainstream shops, the broader response principally appears to be that Disney Adults are bizarre. Which, certain, we’re…however we’re additionally proper about this being a mistake!
All of that is exactly why, once I first learn the Axios Harris press launch about costs mattering greater than politics, all of it made sense that Disney would’ve seen its popularity fall additional to “honest.”
Disney has garnered lots of unfavourable media scrutiny about pricing. There was that bombshell article within the Wall Avenue Journal again in February (shortly earlier than this polling), and that led to large fallout and broader dialog about Disney’s excessive costs and affordability amongst common center class People. That garnering a lot consideration is probably going what led to “Cool Child Summer time” and an inflow of reductions. Whereas the theme parks aren’t every little thing for customers, streaming service costs have additionally elevated.
So if pricing is seemingly the extra logical clarification for Disney’s decline, why does its polarization stay so excessive? My greatest guess is that political protection and perceptions of Disney haven’t improved all that a lot. The corporate grew to become a poster baby for cultural polarization, and that injury isn’t undone simply or in a single day. It most likely additionally doesn’t assist that the standard of content material has nonetheless been hit and miss. Principally, there have been sufficient unfavourable headlines to take care of baked-in perceptions and never sufficient optimistic information to undo earlier injury. Actually, I’ve no clue–simply spitballing.
What I do know is that this issues lots to Disney. Each public perceptions–which is exactly why Bob Iger has labored to consciously uncouple from tradition wars–and the model’s rating on this specific ballot by Axios Harris. This listing is very as influential inside the trade, together with with Bob Iger, who in accordance with the Wall Avenue Journal, based mostly a few of his fears that his successor/predecessor Bob Chapek was killing the soul of the corporate on this similar ballot.
Iger feared then that followers have been “falling out of affection” with the Disney model. And people outcomes have been higher than 2025! Suffice to say, the Axios Harris Ballot is vital to the corporate and its CEO (Disney touted being one of many highest-ranking corporations on the ballot as just lately as 2019). There’s no strategy to spin this or paint it in a optimistic gentle: the outcomes are unhealthy (once more) for Disney.
Whereas I’ve no clue how you can reconcile the politics vs. pricing perceptions, my recommendation to Disney can be to observe the lead of the businesses which have seen their rankings rise over the previous couple of years. Regardless that the companies are very totally different, classes will be realized from Dealer Joe’s, Patagonia, Costco, Arizona Drinks, Nintendo, and sure, even In-N-Out Burger. A few these cost premium costs, however in addition they ship commensurately premium merchandise. The ethical of the story: “high quality will win out…it’s confirmed it’s a superb enterprise coverage. Give the general public every little thing you can provide them, hold the place as clear as you’ll be able to hold it, hold it pleasant.” ~Walt Disney.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What’s your tackle Disney’s spot on the 2025 Axios Harris Ballot 100? Suppose the corporate can bounce again with focusing extra on high quality, and fewer on politics? Suppose pricing or worth for cash really does play a task within the rank, even when the pollsters disagree? Will one other 12 months faraway from controversies assist? Hope Disney will get its groove again quickly? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even whenever you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
