DALLAS, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) today announced that it ranks 14th overall in Reputation Institute's Reputation Pulse 2009 study of the most reputable companies in the U.S. The company, which appears on the list for the first time in 2009, ranked among the top 10 U.S. companies in the area of citizenship.

Reputation Institute's Global Reputation Pulse is an annual online survey of the general public measuring the corporate reputations of more than 600 of the world's largest companies in 32 countries. For the U.S. survey, Reputation Institute included the nation’s 150 largest companies and polled U.S. residents only.

"We've worked hard over the years to build a solid reputation in every country where we do business," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tom Falk. "Millions of people around the world trust our well-known brands. I'm proud of our company's reputation, especially being cited as a top 10 company in the area of citizenship. I'm even prouder of the people at Kimberly-Clark who make recognition like this possible."

To calculate the Global Pulse rankings, Reputation Institute gauged U.S. consumers' level of trust, esteem, admiration, and good feeling about a particular organization. Research by Reputation Institute since 1999 indicates that reputation is built on seven pillars from which a company can create a strategic platform for communicating with its stakeholders on the most relevant key performance indicators. These principal dimensions include: Products/Services, Innovation, Workplace, Citizenship, Governance, Leadership, and Performance.

"A strong reputation is critical to have in both good times and in bad," said Kasper Nielsen, Managing Partner, Reputation Institute. "Organizations such as Kimberly-Clark that understand the importance of creating a solid connection with key stakeholders through a broad reputation management platform will fare well in today's economy as well as in whatever situation the future has in store."

The Reputation Pulse 2009 ranking follows Kimberly-Clark's number nine ranking in CRO's 2009 Best Corporate Citizens listing earlier this year.

About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark and its well known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No.1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 137-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.

About the Global Reputation Pulse 2009 Study
The Global Reputation Pulse 2009 was conducted online in late January and February 2009 by the Reputation Institute. A Pulse score is a measure of corporate reputation calculated by averaging perceptions of four indicators - trust, esteem, admiration, and good feeling - obtained from a representative sample of at least 100 local respondents who were familiar with the company. Scores range from a low of 0 to a high of 100, Pulse scores that differ by more than +/-0.5 are significantly different at the 95% confidence level. The U.S. mean for all companies included in the study was 64.2. A report on the 2009 Global Reputation Pulse findings can be downloaded at www.ReputationInstitute.com.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Kimberly-Clark and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people's most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what's important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 70 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere for the sixth year in a row. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company's 150-year history of innovation, visit kimberly-clark.com or follow Kimberly-Clark on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

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