Forbes places General Mills in top tier of ‘world’s most reputable companies’

06/11/2008

General Mills ranks as the fourth most reputable company in the United States – and the 11th most reputable company in the world – in 2008 reputation research published by Forbes.

For the global rating of the “world’s most reputable companies,” more than 1,000 companies in 27 countries were evaluated based on what the Reputation Institute, Forbes' research partner, calls the seven dimensions of reputation: products and services, innovation, workplace, citizenship, governance, leadership and performance.

"We continue to build trust in our brands by paying attention to other consumer priorities such as product innovation, health and wellness benefits, and the sustainability of our manufacturing processes,” General Mills Chairman and CEO Ken Powell told the magazine. “Holding ourselves to the highest standard on ethics and integrity is part of building that trust.”

Toyota earned the top spot globally, followed by Google, IKEA, Ferrero, and Johnson & Johnson, with General Mills ranking 11th overall.

Fourth in U.S.
Among U.S. companies, General Mills ranked fourth, behind Google, Johnson & Johnson, and Kraft Foods, and ahead of fifth-place Disney.

“General Mills’ corporate reputation may be as strong as it has ever been,” says Tom Forsythe, the company’s vice president of Corporate Communications. “This research stands on the shoulders of other accolades, but it is more encompassing.

“It represents the sum of the interaction of our consumers, customers, competitors, investors and employees with our brands and businesses globally, and reinforces the tremendous value we have in the General Mills brand. We can be justifiably proud of this ranking, because reputation is a true measure of all that we do in Nourishing Lives.”

The Forbes ranking continues a nice run of positive news for the General Mills brand. In 2008, company was also named one of the “world’s most ethical companies” by the Ethisphere Institute, and General Mills UK made the prestigious Financial Times’ “50 best workplaces” list.

Forbes’ global list separated companies into 24 industries, and included 150 U.S. companies, 40 companies from Japan, 35 each from China and the U.K., 30 each from France and Germany, and 20 from Russia.

The World’s Most Reputable Companies
1. Toyota
2. Google
3. IKEA
4. Ferrero
5. Johnson & Johnson
6. Tata Group
7. Kraft Foods
8. Novo Nordisk
9. Grupo Bimbo, S.A.
10. Migros
11. General Mills
12. Walt Disney
13. Haier Corporation
14. Infosys Technologies
15. United Parcel Service
16. Sharp Corp.
17. Coop
18. Jean Couto Group
19. El Corte Ingles
20. Petrobas