NEW YORK: BMW took the top spot in the Reputation Institute's global reputation study of corporations, while Google fell to sixth place after two consecutive years as No. 1.

The third annual Global RepTrak 100 examined consumers' views of 100 companies across 15 countries and how corporate reputation affects purchasing behavior. BMW was previously ranked fourth, but increased its position because of its ability to maintain a strong reputation in both local and global markets, said Reputation Institute executive partner Kasper ...