Two insurance firms have made the top 20 of the New Zealand Corporate Reputation Index by market and social research firm Colmar Brunton.

The index measures a company’s reputation using four measures: social responsibility, fairness, success/leadership and trust. It uses the global RepZ framework, created by Colmar Brunton’s parent company Kantar.

In fifth place was AA Insurance, having made the list for the seventh consecutive year and maintaining its spot from the previous year. Among its scores, it got the highest in trust with 108, followed by leadership and fairness, both at 107, and responsibility at 102.

According to the study, AA Insurance’s response to COVID-19, including a hardship fund, premium freezes and premium rebates generated positive feedback from the public. This led to its strong performance in the trust category.

“Our reputation as being a trusted insurer, that stays true to our promise of doing the right thing for our customers, has meant we’ve remained resilient through the COVID-19 crisis,” AA Insurance CEO Chris Curtin said in a statement.

“It reflects the dedication, reliability and integrity of the 860+ people who work here, for we are nothing without them. It’s our people who make us the company we are, and even in a crisis they always put our customers first.”

Meanwhile, the Southern Cross group ranked 16th this year, down six places from the previous year. According to Colmar Brunton, the healthcare and insurance company’s results were impacted by a change in how they were measured in 2021.

The insurance industry as a whole enjoyed improved reputation in the 2021 edition, with an increase of 3%. This was aided by their positive actions, such as supporting policyholders and employees, during the COVID-19 crisis last year.

Despite the huge reduction in air travel due to the pandemic, Air New Zealand retained its top spot, showing the brand’s resilience. It was followed by Pak’n Save, TVNZ, and Toyota.