‘iPhone’ named coolest brand as technology rules list
Branding and building a well-respected, well-known brand is an important part of life for companies of all shapes and sizes in this connected age. A positive brand name which is recognized far and wide is an important element of building customer loyalty and making a product an essential must-have. The iPhone has just been named the coolest brand of them all, with Apple doing particularly well. And technology as a whole dominates the list.
CoolBrands holds an annual poll in the U.K. to discover which brands are having the most influence on the average British consumer. Last year saw Aston Martin top the poll, no doubt helped by the car maker’s close association with super spy James Bond. But this year has seen a new number one, as well as some other movers and shakers.
Top 20 CoolBrands 2009/2010
1. iPhone
2. Aston Martin
3. Apple
4. iPod
5. Nintendo
6. YouTube
7. BlackBerry
8. Google
9. Bang & Olufsen
10. PlayStation
11. Xbox
12. Tate Modern
13. Dom Perignon
14. Virgin Atlantic
15. Ferrari
16. Sony
17. Mini
18. Vivienne Westwood
19. Rolex
20. BBC iPlayer
Apple must be overjoyed at having three brands in the top four. Apple itself ranks as number three, with the iPod building on its years as the top brand of PMP (Portable Media Player) to take the number four spot. But the number one is nabbed by the iPhone, which has managed to take the top spot thanks to an undeniable desirability factor.
The Register quotes CoolBrands chairman Stephen Cheliotis as saying:
The iPhone is something everyone’s been talking about. There has been such a buzz around it – and people that haven’t got one, want one.
Nintendo takes the crown over Sony and Microsoft in terms of games console manufacturers, but interestingly, the Wii is nowhere to be seen while Playstation and Xbox are there. Online brands are present, with YouTube taking the number six spot followed by Google at eight and the BBC iPlayer new in at 20.
In all, 16 of the 20 top brands can be considered as being from the field of technology, with only Tate Modern, Dom Perignon, Virgin Atlantic, and Vivienne Westwood falling outside that realm.
The Top 20 is compiled by voters, with a shortlist designated from 2,500 people, which is then condensed down to its final placings by a handpicked panel. However, it should be noted that this list is likely to be very different if held in other countries.
October 1st, 2009
As for having influence on British consumers, shouldn’t the poll reflect brands the consumers actually have or used? Aston Martin & Ferrari make really nice cars but the average person can’t afford them. It’s far more likely that they flew on Virgin Atlantic or played a game on an Xbox.