Analytics, Brands, Estonia, Markets and Companies, Transport

The other companies in the top 10 are Eesti Energia, the state forest management center RMK, Tallink Grupp, A. Le Coq, Coop Eesti, ABB, and Tartu Mill.

"We've been occupying high places on the scoreboard of strong companies for years with the Statoil brand, being constantly in the top 10, but as recently as one-and-a-half years ago nobody in Estonia knew virtually anything about the Circle K brand," Kai Realo, director general of the Estonian operation of Circle K, said referring of their switch of the Circle K brand.

Realo described the selection of Circle K as the most reputable company by consumers as a great recognition.

Katrin Mannaste, survey expert at Kantar Emor, said that in addition to Circle K, which climbed to the top position from sixth place last year, also Eesti Energia, Coop Eesti, ABB and Tartu Mill performed significantly better than in 2016.

"Swedbank has been in high places in the rankings through many years. Telia Eesti rose to the top 5 a year ago and has managed to maintain its good image," Mannaste said.

The expert observed that for several companies negative media coverage has brought with it a fall in the rankings. This holds true for HKScan Estonia, which has fallen far behind on the scoreboard, and also Prisma Peremarket, which has descended from the high placing it had last year, she said.

Just like in previous years, food industry enjoys the highest average index also in 2017. At the same time, the number of food industry companies at the very top of the table is declining as companies of the retail sector are raising their reputation rankings in the first place. The retail sector is on an upward trend also when it comes to the average reputation index, Mannaste added.

The annual survey by Kantar Emor ranks businesses by the combined value of two indices -- general brand attitude and the strength index.