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This article was first published 13 years ago

The world's most reputable companies

Last updated on: September 22, 2011 09:32 IST

Image: Having a strong and favourable reputation is a big plus.
The United States-based Reputation Institute has been studying the dynamics of corporate reputations since 1997.

Companies increasingly compete for market share and mindshare in all corners of the world. Having a strong and favourable reputation with consumers plays a critical role in helping a company to differentiate itself from rivals.

At the same time, consumers want to know more about the companies that stand behind the products and services that they buy.

The 2011 Global RepTrak 100: The World's Most Reputable Companies summarises the results of a comprehensive analysis of the world s 100 top-rated companies based on input from over 50,000 consumers in 15 countries.

Let us have a look at 29 most reputable companies in the world.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products.

1. Google

Country: US

Score: 79.99

Google is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing and advertising technologies.

Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords programme.

The company was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, often dubbed the ‘Google Guys’.

. . .

The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is the maker of Macintosh line of computers.

2. Apple

Country: US

Score: 79.77

Apple is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers.

The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is the largest media conglomerate in the world.

3. The Walt Disney Company

Country: US

Score: 79.51

The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue.

The company is best known for the products of its film studio, the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, and today one of the largest and best-known studios in Hollywood.

Disney also owns and operates the ABC broadcast television network; cable television networks such as Disney Channel, ESPN, and ABC Family; publishing, merchandising, and theatre divisions; and owns and licenses 14 theme parks around the world.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands.

4. BMW

Country: Germany

Score: 79.42

Bayerische Motoren Werke is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916.

It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group.

5. LEGO

Country: Denmark

Score: 79.26

Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark.

The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts.

Lego bricks can be assembled and connected in many ways, to construct such objects as vehicles, buildings, and even working robots.

Anything constructed can then be taken apart again, and the pieces used to make other objects.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is the world's fifth-largest media conglomerate.

6. Sony

Country: Japan

Score: 79.05

Sony Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo.

It is the world's fifth-largest media conglomerate.

Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, products for the consumer and professional markets.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: Daimler is a German car corporation.

7. Daimler

Country: Germany

Score: 79.03

Daimler is a German car corporation. By unit sales, it is the 13th-largest car manufacturer and second-largest truck manufacturer in the world.

In addition to automobiles, Daimler manufactures buses and provides financial services through its Daimler Financial Services arm.

The company also owns major stakes in aerospace group EADS, high-technology and parent company of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes racing team McLaren Group.

Daimler produces cars and trucks under the brands of Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, Smart, Freightliner and many others.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: Its headquarters are located in Tokyo, Japan.

8. Canon

Country: Japan

Score: 78.07

Canon is a Japanese multinational corporation that specialises in the manufacture of imaging and optical products, including cameras, camcorders, photocopiers, steppers and computer printers.

Its headquarters are located in Ota, Tokyo, Japan.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors.

9. Intel

Country: US

Score: 77.56

Intel is an American multinational technology corporation headquartered in Santa Clara, California, United States and the world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue.

It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most personal computers.

Intel also makes motherboard chipsets, network interface controllers and integrated circuits, flash memory, graphic chips, embedded processors and other devices related to communications and computing.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: Volkswagen Group is a German automobile manufacturing group.

10. Volkswagen

Country: Germany

Score: 77.33

Volkswagen Group is a German automobile manufacturing group.

As of 2010, Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest.

The Group's parent company develops vehicles and components for all marques of the whole group, and also manufactures complete vehicles for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles marques.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is based in Redmond, Washington.

11. Microsoft

Country: US

Score: 77.29

Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, that develops, manufactures, licenses and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is the world's leading supplier of athletic shoes.

12. Nike

Country: US

Score: 76.92

Nike is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States.

The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon.

It is the world's leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: Its main business is electronics manufacturing.

13. Panasonic

Country: Japan

Score: 76.84

Panasonic Corporation is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics corporation headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Japan.

Its main business is electronics manufacturing and it produces products under a variety of names including Panasonic and Technics.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: Johnson & Johnson's brands include numerous household names.

14. Johnson and Johnson

Country: US

Score: 76.75

Johnson & Johnson is an international American pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886.

Johnson & Johnson's brands include numerous household names of medications and first aid supplies.

Among its well-known consumer products are Band-Aid line of bandages, Tylenol medications, Johnson's baby products, Neutrogena skin and beauty products, Clean & Clear facial wash and Acuvue contact lenses.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones.

15. Nokia

Country: Finland

Score: 76.17

Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki.

Nokia is engaged in the manufacturing of mobile devices and in converging Internet and communications industries, with over 132,000 employees in 120 countries, sales in more than 150 countries.

It is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: The company operates in 86 countries.

16. Nestle

Country: Switzerland

Score: 76.01

Nestle, founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, is the largest food and nutrition company in the world.

The company operates in 86 countries around the world, and employs over 280,000 people.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: The company was founded in a one-car garage.

17. Hewlett-Packard

Country: US

Score: 75.90

Hewlett-Packard is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

The company was founded in a one-car garage in Palo Alto by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard.

Now it is one of the world's largest information technology companies, operating in nearly every country.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world.

18. Michelin

Country: France

Score: 75.75

Michelin is a French tyre manufacturer and one of the world's two largest tyre makers.

The company also owns European tyre brands like BFGoodrich, Taurus, Riken, Kormoran, etc.

. . .

The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company.

19. L’Oreal

Country: France

Score: 75.72

L'Oreal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company.

With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics.

Concentrating on hair colour, skin care, sun protection, make-up, perfumes and hair care, the company is active in the dermatological and pharmaceutical fields.

...

The world's most reputable companies

Image: Kellogg's is a producer of cereal and convenience foods.

20. Kellogg’s

Country: US

Score: 75.20

Kellogg’s is a producer of cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles and vegetarian foods.
The company's brands include Corn Flakes, Keebler, Pop-Tarts, Eggo, Cheez-It, Nutri-Grain, Rice Krispies, BearNaked, Morningstar Farms, Famous Amos, Special K, All-Bran, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Club and Kashi.

Kellogg products are manufactured in 18 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries around the world.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company was founded in 1898.

21. Goodyear

Country: US

Score: 75.09

Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling.

Goodyear manufactures tyres for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes and heavy earth-mover machinery.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is a private company owned by the Ferrero family.

22. Ferrero

Country: Italy

Score: 75.01

Ferrero is an Italian manufacturer of chocolate and other confectionery products, founded by confectioner Pietro Ferrero in 1946 and based in Alba, Piedmont, Italy.

It is a private company owned by the Ferrero family and has been described as "one of the world's most secretive firms".

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: The company employs 119,000 people.

23. Philips Electronics

Country: The Netherlands

Score: 74.84

Philips is a multinational Dutch electronics company and is one of the largest electronics companies in the world.

The company employs 119,000 people in more than 60 countries.

...

The world's most reputable companies

Image: It has more than 80,000 employees.

24. 3M

Country: US

Score: 74.68

3M Company is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota.

With over 80,000 employees, they produce more than 55,000 products, including: adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, dental products, electronic materials, medical products, car care products (such as sun films, polish, wax, car shampoo, treatment for the exterior, interior and the under chassis rust protection), electronic circuits and optical films.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: Nintendo is a video game company.

25. Nintendo

Country: Japan

Score: 74.66

Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan.

Nintendo developed into a video game company, becoming one of the most influential in the industry, and Japan's third-most valuable listed company, with a market value of over $85 billion.

As of October 18, 2010, Nintendo had sold over 565 million hardware units and 3.4 billion software units.

...

The world's most reputable companies

Image: It is also a manufacturer of veterinary products.

26. Colgate-Palmolive

Country: US

Score: 74.62

Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products (including toothpaste and toothbrushes).

Under its ‘Hill's’ brand, it is also a manufacturer of veterinary products.

The company's corporate offices are on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: It manufactures and sells computer hardware and software.

27. IBM

Country: US

Score: 74.41

International Business Machines is an American multinational technology and consulting firm headquartered in Armonk, New York.

It manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology.

...

The world's most reputable companies

Image: Coca-Cola currently offers more than 500 brands.

28. Coca-Cola

Country: US

Score: 74.27

Coca-Cola is an American multinational beverage corporation of manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups.

The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia.

Coca-Cola currently offers more than 500 brands in over 200 countries or territories and serves over 1.6 billion servings each day.

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The world's most reputable companies

Image: Honda has been the largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959.

29. Honda Motor

Country: Japan

Score: 73.99

Honda Motor is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.

Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year.