The Reputation Institute (http://www.reputationinstitute.com), an international organization devoted to advancing knowledge about corporate reputations, has released a list of the most reputable companies in the world. Apple ranks number six on the list.

The study provides a first ever assessment of the global reputation landscape -- the companies that are most liked, trusted, and respected by the general public across 24 countries, says Dr. Charles Fobrun, chairman of the Reputation Institution. Data collection was powered by Survey Sampling International.
The study was conducted in two parts. In January 2010, Reputation Institute measured the reputations of the world’s 600 largest companies in their home countries. The highest rated companies in each of 32 countries were then selected as candidates for a second study that also rated the world’s most visible and valuable corporate brands provided they had above average home country reputations. The outcome of the second study was a final roster of 28 global companies that are well regarded at home but that have also successfully exported their reputations around the world.

The top 10 companies on the list -- in order -- are Google, Sony, the Walt Disney Company, BMW, Daimier/Mercedes-Benz, Apple, Nokia, IKEA, Volkswagon and Intel. Microsoft was number 11 on the list.

“Technology has a powerful grip on the global rankings,” says Fombrun. “Companies like Google, Sony, Apple, Nokia, Intel, and Microsoft have earned our trust and respect because they are all-pervasive solution-providers that affect our daily lives. Disney’s global mind-share as an entertainment provider is remarkable, as is the admiration with which consumers hold auto-makers BMW and Daimler/Mercedes-Benz. They are power-houses of reputation-building around the world.”