A good reputation is the result of a series of positive images and perceptions presented over a period of time, creating a history upon which a favorable opinion can be formed. That history, formed by a series of events, reinforces the integrity of the process. Even if an occasional entry in the series is called into question, the cumulative result is not. For example, a student can have a great test score or even a great semester, but the final judgment of his or her scholarship and ability will be based on results from a much longer and more inclusive period. But what about the company that understands the value of being well-regarded by the marketplace and wants a good reputation, yet in the finest tradition of twenty-first-century thinking wants it now? There may very well be a “shortcut” to a good reputation. In marketing terms, the closest thing to such a shortcut is the halo effect-the positioning of a subject in such a way that it glows from the reflected light of something bright.