It’s that special time of year. Hanukkah has just finished, Christmas is upon us and Kwanzaa quickly follows. Stores have beautiful window displays and the homes in my neighborhood are ablaze with lights as families and friends gather to celebrate the holidays. At this time of year, I can’t help but want to take a peek inside.

And it’s the same for a company, like Kellogg… it’s human nature for people to want to have a closer look. They want to know who we are, what’s in our foods, how our foods are made, how we treat our employees and how we care for our communities. All of that – and more – contributes to how people feel about our company, our brands and our food.

As stated in a Kellogg advertisement from decades ago, “A reputation is a very fragile thing.” At Kellogg, we live our values and communicate with transparency in order to earn a seat at millions of tables around the world. It’s a responsibility that we don’t take lightly. Kellogg has long been committed to operating transparently and it is something we will continue to prioritize going forward.

Kellogg participates a number of benchmarking surveys and studies such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Corporate Human Rights Benchmark, and others, to be transparent. We also publish an annual global Corporate Responsibility Report, share news about our work on our corporate blog Social K, and through our Open for Breakfast website, where anyone can ask us a question and we answer.

Recently, we were again named a Most JUST Company by Forbes and JUST Capital, based on the issues Americans care about most. And this year, Kellogg jumped considerably in rankings, up from 391 to 79 of 890 companies assessed. Those companies that make the list outperform their peers on issues including fair pay and good benefits, beneficial products, environmental impact, community support, plus ethical leadership and long-term financial growth. We are now ranked number two in our industry – which is great progress and will motivate us to continually do even better.

In fact, we climbed the ranks in a number of reputational polls this year, including those listed below:

• Forbes Best Regarded Company (up 219 spots to #13)

• Forbes World’s Most Reputable Company (up 15 spots to #42)

• DiversityInc 2018 Top 50 Companies for Diversity (up 8 spots to #18)

• Fortune World’s Most Admired Company

• Harris Poll’s 100 Most Visible Companies in America (up 17 spots to #14)

• Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Company (for 10 of the past 11 years)

   

When Kellogg is recognized for these efforts by leading organizations, we are both proud and honored. But what matters far more is the consumer confidence that drives the recognition in the first place. It not only further validates the importance of transparency, it reinforces that we are continuing to earn people’s loyalty and trust. Which in the end, is what matters most.