While Google's meteoric rise to the top spot might be notable (it didn't even appear on the survey until 2004), its presence there is not surprising. Google is prominent in the financial press, its products are widely and heavily used by consumers, and the touchy-feely corporate culture at "the Googleplex" is by now practically legendary.

Google is absent from Brandweek's Superbrand Report because its advertising budget is virtually nil; it's only No. 20 on Interbrand's global list, though it is moving up those ranks swiftly.

Berkshire Hathaway knocked the ball out of the park in Harris Interactive's Financial Performance and Vision and Leadership categories, catapulting Warren Buffett's financial services company to No. 6 from No. 21.

Also notable: Companies that didn't make the list of 60. What about Citigroup, American Express, and Anheuser-Busch, not to mention airlines? Why no luxury brands?

The results might have to do with Harris Interactive's methodology. The survey asks initial respondents to name the two companies they believe have the best reputations and the two they believe have the worst in order to compile the list. That could end up leaving out companies which everyone would agree are highly visible, but no one would designate a "best" or "worst."

Another surprise had to do with the relatively poor performance of certain companies that were included. Apple's position at No. 19, up from 22, is surprisingly low given the omnipresence of the iPod, the mania over the iPhone, the company's charismatic C.E.O. Steve Jobs, and its blockbuster financials.

Starbucks ranks at No. 32 with a score of 72.96, below the cutoff of 75.00 that designates a "good" reputation. That's surprising given the large tribe of Starbucks loyalists that have led to the wild proliferation of outlets within the past few years, not to mention its sterling reputation as an employer.

In terms of overall industry trends, though, there are no big surprises. Harris Interactive headlines that 71 percent of consumers say the reputation of corporate America is "poor"—which sounds shocking, but for the fact that that figure was exactly the same in 2005, and just slightly lower at 69 percent in 2006.

While this year five of 11 industries saw their ratings slip, last year the automotive industry was the only sector down overall as Ford and General Motors plummeted to 55th and 57th place, respectively (though Toyota and Honda were both in the top 15). This year, automakers improved in general, with Ford and G.M. in 54th and 52nd places, while retail, consumer products, airlines, insurance and financial services, and the pharmaceutical industry all lost ground.

The poorest performers on the list are oil companies, telecoms, financial-services companies, and automakers, while consumer products and technology rank high.

How do the judgments match up with those of Interbrand, Brandweek, and A.C.L.S. overall? As it turns out, the four studies produce a diverse group of favorites.

Interbrand ranks Coca-Cola, Microsoft, I.B.M., G.E., and Nokia as the best global brands. BrandWeek ranks AT&T, McDonalds, Verizon Wireless, Macy's, and Sprint as the biggest media spenders. When it comes to consumer satisfaction, Michigan's consumer survey says that Heinz, Hershey, Clorox, Amazon.com, and Toyota rule the day.