LONDON: Search engine company Google Inc. has been the No. 1 brand in the world in 2005, according to the annual survey by online branding magazine brandchannel.com. It has edged out Apple Computer Company to the second place. Google reclaims the top position, which it last held in 2003.
A surprising new entrant is the eBay-owned web phone service Skype, which makes its debut at No. 3. Some 2,528 branding professionals and students participated in the survey.
The fourth position goes to coffee chain Starbucks Corp. and the fifth to Swedish furniture chain Ikea.
At the global level, Apple, Google and Starbucks occupy the top slots in that order, while retailer Target Corporation takes the third place and human brand Lance Armstrong is fifth.
The top position in the European region, however, goes to Finland's Nokia, followed by Ikea and Skype and then Sara, Spanish Invite’s (ITX.MC: Quote) ultra-hip fashion chain. Carmaker BMW is fifth.
The top four in the Asia-Pacific region are Sony Corp. Toyota Motor Corp., Samsung and LG Corp. The fifth place is won by London-headquartered HSBC. In the Latin American region, beverages Corona and Bacardi won the top two positions followed by mobile phone operator Movistar at third, sandal maker Havaianas at fourth and Mexican building materials group Cemex at fifth.
The survey does not take account of economic brand value.
Posted
on : Mon, 23 Jan 2006 20:35 GMT | General News
By : Chris Rowe
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