From tomorrow's Wall Street Journal (sub req'd):

It takes most companies decades to build a great reputation. Google Inc. did it in seven years.

The creator of the premier Internet search engine made a striking debut this year in the annual Reputation Quotient ranking, placing third among 60 of the most prominent companies in the world. Google, which took root in a Stanford University dorm room and was founded in 1998, ranked behind No. 1 Johnson & Johnson and No. 2 Coca-Cola Co., American icons that are both more than a century old....

Some survey respondents called Google "indispensable" and "priceless." Michelle V.L. Miko, a Web developer in Moss Landing, Calif., said she "can't even recall how many years I've been using Google. It instantly became my search engine of choice because of its simplicity, accuracy and the clean way the site is organized. I rely solely on Google for the many things I have to research like obscure music lyrics and medical terminology."

Google's lofty share price also boosted its reputation, with respondents naming it as one of the stocks they would most like to buy and would most recommend to other people. "It's one company I would have been interested in investing in," said Ms. Miko, "had I had the chance to get in on the ground floor."

Reputation is everything.  Some say the "Don't Be Evil" culture doesn't scale -- I say it's a prerequisite for a company with Google's ambitions.