Sorry, Uber: The World's Most Hated Brands—Mapped

Brands like Sony, Apple, Uber, and Nike spend millions in advertising and social media outreach in an effort to keep them highly regarded. But our connected consumer world has another consequence: When consumers aren’t happy, they aren’t quiet about it.

Recently, product review site Rave assessed the brand landscape and examined over 1 million Tweets that mentioned some of the world’s most popular brands. Using the percentage of negative mentions as a guide, they’ve developed a map of the most hated—or at least most heavily criticized—brands in the world.

Globally, Sony appears to have gotten the most vitriol, with the highest percentage of negative Tweets in 10 countries. The global entertainment and technology powerhouse had a string of PR disasters recently. In June 2020, Sony Europe was ordered by an Australian court to pay $3.5 million in penalties after falsely informing consumers they weren’t entitled to video game refunds for faulty PlayStation games. The launch of the PlayStation 5 in late 2020 was also greeted with frustration by fans who were unable to locate one of the scarce consoles; supply shortages led to unprecedented demand.

Car company Tesla comes in second with seven countries. In June 2020, automotive watchdog service J.D. Power claimed Tesla owners reported more issues in the first 90 days of ownership than any of the 31 major U.S. car brands, including issues with paint, hoods that don’t open or close properly, and strange noises. In April 2021, the company formally apologized to customers in China after drivers alleged the company failed to address complaints about braking systems in a timely fashion.

Paypal and Uber drew the most complaints in five countries; Uber managed to be the most hated brand in the U.S. and UK.

Speaking of the United States:

While Uber ranks at the top in grievances, LEGO is a surprising contender in six states—probably owing to a surplus of Tweets about missing pieces or the sometimes-exorbitant cost of sets. Car companies Toyota and Ford also drew naysayers. The state of Indiana seems to have issues with Red Bull energy drinks.

For maps on highly unpopular gaming, fast food, and big tech brands, head over to Rave.

[h/t Rave]