Just How Respected Is Your Company?

Careful reputation management is an absolutely essential component of any corporate identity campaign. After all, we’re all more likely to work for, buy products and services from and recommend companies we respect and trust.

In June, the Research Institute (RI) released the results of their third annual “Global Pulse” survey, which is designed to measure the overall respect, trust, esteem, admiration and good feelings consumers have towards the largest 600 companies in the world, including the 150 largest U.S. corporations. The top-line results of this study are published annually in Forbes as a ranking of “The World’s Most Respected Companies.”

Google ranks #1 as the most highly respected company in the U.S. in 2008.

Consumers are most influenced by a company’s delivery of high quality products and services, accounting for more than 18% of a company’s reputation, according to RI; but governance and citizenship together account for more than 30% of a company’s reputation.

Here’s a complete list of the top ten most respected American companies:

1. Google
2. Johnson & Johnson
3. Kraft Foods Inc.
4. General Mills
5. Walt Disney
6. United Parcel Service
7. 3M
8. Xerox
9. Colgate-Palmolive
10. Texas Instruments