Influence 100 Insights 2026: LEGO And Edelman Draw Praise As Openai Faces Criticism
(MENAFN- PRovoke)
LONDON – LEGO was the brand most often praised for its handling of reputation over the past year in PRovoke Media's 2026 Influence 100 survey, while OpenAI drew the most criticism. Edelman was the agency respondents most often singled out for admiration.
The open-ended responses asked this year's cohort of the most senior and influential in-house communicators which organisations had managed their reputations particularly well or badly, and which agencies they most admired and why.
For respondents who picked LEGO, the strength of its reputation lay in how closely the experience of customers matched what the company says it stands for. One pointed to the role of fans, educators and creators in carrying that reputation beyond the company itself.
“This kind of advocacy certainly cannot be manufactured and is based on consistency between the product, the experience and what the brand stands for,” the respondent wrote.
Apple, Costco, Nestlé, NVIDIA and Walmart also drew praise. One respondent highlighted Costco's consistency and value in an uncertain economy, while another picked Walmart for navigating a leadership transition and a shift towards AI.
The choices extended beyond commercial brands. The Government of Canada was singled out for managing its reputation well, as was the Beckham family for its handling of the dispute with oldest son Brooklyn.
OpenAI came up repeatedly in critical responses, with some respondents questioning how it had handled trust in the company and its products.
Anthropic drew a wider range of views. One respondent praised its ability to position itself as the“good guy” in the AI arms race, while others said their trust in the company had declined or grouped it with AI companies they felt had handled their reputations poorly.
Other organisations cited critically included BP, Boeing, the BBC, Meta and Temu. One respondent pointed to changes in strategy and leadership at BP, arguing that they had made it harder for the company to sustain a clear and credible account of where it was going.
Edelman once again led the 'most admired agency' picks, as it has in 13 of the past 14 years of the Influence 100. The firm's Trust Barometer came up more than once, alongside praise for the agency's ability to adapt and the quality of its reputation counsel.
There was a clear preference for corporate, crisis and strategic advisory firms. Brunswick and FGS Global – which sponsors the Influence 100 – drew repeated mentions. Respondents highlighted Brunswick's discretion and understanding of complex business and policy issues, and cited FGS Global's work in high-stakes situations, including transformational change and geopolitical challenges.
Other picks included Avian WE for its understanding of India, AdFactors PR for its scale, and Teneo for the calibre of its people. One respondent who named Avian WE, Edelman and Brunswick put the appeal of their work this way:“What I value across all three is the ability to move beyond communications execution and provide counsel that genuinely helps leaders navigate reputation and business decisions.”
There were also mentions for Accenture Song, APCO, BPI, Burson, Longacre Square Partners, Italy's My PR, Penta, Prosek Partners and Weber Shandwick. Martech firm Applecart was named as an example of an agency using technology to solve communicators' problems.
The open-ended responses asked this year's cohort of the most senior and influential in-house communicators which organisations had managed their reputations particularly well or badly, and which agencies they most admired and why.
For respondents who picked LEGO, the strength of its reputation lay in how closely the experience of customers matched what the company says it stands for. One pointed to the role of fans, educators and creators in carrying that reputation beyond the company itself.
“This kind of advocacy certainly cannot be manufactured and is based on consistency between the product, the experience and what the brand stands for,” the respondent wrote.
Apple, Costco, Nestlé, NVIDIA and Walmart also drew praise. One respondent highlighted Costco's consistency and value in an uncertain economy, while another picked Walmart for navigating a leadership transition and a shift towards AI.
The choices extended beyond commercial brands. The Government of Canada was singled out for managing its reputation well, as was the Beckham family for its handling of the dispute with oldest son Brooklyn.
OpenAI came up repeatedly in critical responses, with some respondents questioning how it had handled trust in the company and its products.
Anthropic drew a wider range of views. One respondent praised its ability to position itself as the“good guy” in the AI arms race, while others said their trust in the company had declined or grouped it with AI companies they felt had handled their reputations poorly.
Other organisations cited critically included BP, Boeing, the BBC, Meta and Temu. One respondent pointed to changes in strategy and leadership at BP, arguing that they had made it harder for the company to sustain a clear and credible account of where it was going.
Edelman once again led the 'most admired agency' picks, as it has in 13 of the past 14 years of the Influence 100. The firm's Trust Barometer came up more than once, alongside praise for the agency's ability to adapt and the quality of its reputation counsel.
There was a clear preference for corporate, crisis and strategic advisory firms. Brunswick and FGS Global – which sponsors the Influence 100 – drew repeated mentions. Respondents highlighted Brunswick's discretion and understanding of complex business and policy issues, and cited FGS Global's work in high-stakes situations, including transformational change and geopolitical challenges.
Other picks included Avian WE for its understanding of India, AdFactors PR for its scale, and Teneo for the calibre of its people. One respondent who named Avian WE, Edelman and Brunswick put the appeal of their work this way:“What I value across all three is the ability to move beyond communications execution and provide counsel that genuinely helps leaders navigate reputation and business decisions.”
There were also mentions for Accenture Song, APCO, BPI, Burson, Longacre Square Partners, Italy's My PR, Penta, Prosek Partners and Weber Shandwick. Martech firm Applecart was named as an example of an agency using technology to solve communicators' problems.
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