Google, Once Again, is King of the Brands

Google, the international Web phenom, was named Global Brand of the Year by Interbrand yesterday when it narrowly surpassed Apple for the second consecutive year.

The survey, listed on Brandchannel.com, simply asked its readers, mainly experts in various fields, to rank the brands that they were most affected by in 2003–positively or negatively.

Receiving 16 percent of the approximately 4,000 votes, Google did not fare as well in the United States/Canada poll; it ranked third behind Apple and Target. However, this is no sad news for the private company that made an estimated $900 million in sales last year. The results are clear–Google rules the world.

Here’s how the other brands stacked up:

1. Google
2. Apple
3. Mini
4. Coca-Cola
5. Samsung
6. Ikea
7. Nokia
8. Nike
9. Sony
10. Starbucks

Google, offering searches in an astounding number of languages (97 to be exact), has yet to boast. “It’s always great to be recognized by our users,” stated a Google spokesperson in a Reuters report. “But if you talk to our technicians, they’ll tell you we still have work to do to make our search technology better.

Although it has a minute advertising budget and offers no television commercials to consumers, Google is respected because of its clean, user-friendly access. And if it plans to perpetually excel it must keep up this reputation as it goes public.

Branchannel.com’s editor, Robin Rusch, said to DMNews: “Right now, it’s helpful and uncluttered. But if there’s any taint at all that people are buying their way to the top, I think it will risk their credibility.”

As for now, Google has proven itself reputable and admired. HBO megahit “Sex and the City” even uses the brand name in verb form when one character asks the other if she “Googled” her infamous love interest.

Of some further notable interest, Mini rose up the list eight places knocking Coca-Cola into fourth position. Samsung also finished in fifth. This is a feat considering it listed as twelfth in 2002 and 49th in 2001.

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