Use

There are 'winners' (those on top) and 'losers' (those that end up at the bottom). which attract the attention. Middle-of-the-road positions seem to be less exciting. 
Those on top feel proud. They can use the ranking for marketing or (re)branding purposes. They may also decide to go for more. But a top position, too, may hide major weaknesses.
More dramatic is the outcome for losers. They usually tend to attack the ranking exercise through casting doubt on the method applied. But at the back of their mind a feeling of inferiority may loom, prompting investments of various kinds: meant to catch up with the winners who serve as benchmarks. By doing so - more often than not - losers ignore that the situation is dynamic. Others do not cherish the status quo. Hence, at the end of the day, The relative position of all competitors may even remain unchanged.