Who's Who and Kantar Rank the Companies That Embody French 'Excellence'
Updated: 7 hours ago
Who's Who France and Kantar have unveiled their annual 'excellence' ranking of 90 companies across 10 categories — rated by 1,045 French adults — scoring firms on quality, trust, innovation, financial solidity and influence, with gold winners including Château de Versailles, Fragonard, Picard and Doctolib.
What the Study Found
At the second 'Nuit de l'Excellence', Who's Who France and Kantar published a ranking scoring companies on five dimensions: quality, trust, innovation, financial solidity and influence. Gold winners span heritage and modern brands, from Château de Versailles, Groupe Ducasse Paris and J.M. Weston to Fragonard, Picard and Doctolib.
The study covered 90 companies across 10 categories, rated by 1,045 French adults surveyed online in June 2026, with quality and influence recognised by roughly seven in ten respondents.
Why Reputation Rankings Matter
Third-party rankings are earned media that money can't directly buy. A place on a credible 'excellence' list is a trust signal that lends weight to everything else a brand says about itself.
The mix of winners is telling: a 17th-century palace sits alongside a health-tech platform. Excellence, as consumers judge it, is about consistently delivering on quality and trust — not about being old or new.
Marketing Minute's Take
The five dimensions are effectively a reputation checklist any brand can borrow: quality, trust, innovation, financial solidity and influence. Score yourself honestly against them and the gaps become your brand priorities.
The real value of studies like this is diagnostic. Rather than envy the winners, use the criteria as a mirror — where a brand is weak on trust or perceived innovation is exactly where marketing investment tends to pay back.
What Businesses Should Do
Pursue credible third-party recognition — awards, rankings, certifications — as trust signals, then use them consistently across your marketing rather than letting them gather dust in a press release.
Audit your brand against the five excellence dimensions. Consumers reward consistency on quality and trust above novelty, so fix the fundamentals before chasing the next shiny campaign.
Quick FAQ
What is the Who's Who and Kantar excellence ranking?
An annual study, unveiled at the 'Nuit de l'Excellence', scoring 90 French companies across 10 categories on quality, trust, innovation, financial solidity and influence.
How was it measured?
By a survey of 1,045 French adults conducted online in June 2026, with quality and influence recognised by around seven in ten respondents.
Who were the gold winners?
They included Château de Versailles, Groupe Ducasse Paris, J.M. Weston, Fragonard, Picard and Doctolib.
The most useful thing about a study like this isn't the winners' list — it's the criteria. Quality, trust, innovation, solidity and influence make a reputation checklist any brand can score itself against, and the gaps are exactly where marketing should invest. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
Third-party recognition is trust money can't buy — pursue it, then use the ranking's criteria as a mirror on your own brand.
How would your brand score on quality, trust, innovation, solidity and influence — and which is your weakest?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Stratégies and CB News.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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