Can you hate a brand? I’d argue that it’s technically possible to hate a company for whatever reason, but hate is such an extreme emotion. It seems like we ought to save it for the big things, like war, poverty, and violence.
But no.
Reviewing a range of information, including major news events from the last year, customer survey results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, employee reviews on Glassdoor, 24/7 Wall St. identified America’s most hated companies.
USA TODAY has the complete findings. There are not a lot of surprises on the list, which is topped by Equifax and Fox Entertainment (parent company of Fox News). The third most hated brand in the nation—the NFL—was a bit unexpected, despite its recent issues with SITTING POTUS.
Despite growing concerns and evidence, it has taken the NFL more than two decades to finally acknowledge the link between head injuries and their long-term effects — and to initiate concussion protocol policy. The NFL’s conduct in this matter has garnered significant criticism from the American public. The growing politicization during games this season gave even more Americans a reason to dislike the organization.
Though it remains the most popular professional sports league in the United States, the NFL’s viewership dipped considerably in 2017, due in part to boycott movements driven by the kneeling controversy. Nationally televised games in the current season averaged only 15.1 million viewers, down from 16.6 million last season.
In related news, the politicization of football this season may hurt Super Bowl LII viewership, according to two new surveys commissioned by CNBC.
Just over half of U.S. adults plan to watch the big game this year, according to a survey conducted this week by Fluent, a data-driven marketing firm. Of those surveyed, 44 percent of those who identified themselves as “huge football fans” agreed with Trump, saying they disapproved of NFL players protesting during the game. In contrast, nearly a third of respondents said they believed the football field is an appropriate place for political protests.
In total, 63 percent of people said they’ve been watching less football this year compared with the past few years, but a minority of those people blamed the anthem protests and Trump’s comments.
