Apple, the most indispensible brand to global consumers?

So says a new survey this morning, commissioned by Steve Jobs himself... Kidding.

The findings are courtesy of marketing consultancy Interbrand's Brandjunkie survey which ranks Apple as the brand consumers around the world cannot live without. Interbrand is well known in the advertising and marketing industry for its annual brand study that attempts to estimate the value of a consumer brand. Usually, Coca-Cola wins that derby.

The Brandjunkie findings, which took the pulse of nearly 2,000 professionals and students in an online survey conducted earlier this year, sought rank the emotional value of the brands in our lives. The questions were the typical anthropomorphic, touchy-feely queries brand consultants like to ask, including:

Q: Which brand would you most like to sit next to at a dinner party?
A: Apple, followed by Virgin, then Google, Coca-Cola and Nike.

Q. If sent back 100 years, which brand would have the biggest impact on history?
A. Again Apple, followed by Microsoft, Google, Coca-Cola and Ford.

Q. Which brands do you most want to argue with?
A. This time it's Microsoft, followed by Apple, then "no brand" (for the Naomi Klein fans, evidently), Coca-Cola and McDonald's.

As one unnamed respondent said of Microsoft: "They are so widespread and we all use their products, yet they are such frustrating products to use. Very little innovation for the size of the company."

As Reuters points out, the biggest loser were those brands who spend millions on trying to establish a "green" brand cachet. Apparently, most consumers think there is no such thing as a "green brand".

Comments

[Venus]

That is the stupidist notion in the history of brand preference research.
Apple devices are popular, but the brand is made for brainwashed adolescent-minded artsy types. It's completely overrated.
I'll do my laundry in a Whirlpool while they go to the Apple store and get dreamy eyed over expensive blue plastic electronics cases.

[John Allen]

'Venus' might not enjoy doing her laundry on a Mac (!), but clearly enough of us do like Apple for it to prevail in surveys like this. I'm not sure what's worse - hating brands on principle, or posting little rants about something you know nothing about (blue plastic electronics cases?)

[Guy]

Well Venus, as long as you're happy sitting next to Whirlpool at that rather bizarre brand dinner party, then all is fine!

Yours sincerely,
Brainwashed adolescent-minded artsy type

[Holly]

Well, 'Venus' or who-ever you are, I would've said the same thing a few weeks ago. But my friend is mad on Apple, and he's been showing me hundreds of little adverts and webpages about the new tech coming out soon. And it really is amazing -I can't believe I never saw it before. Apple are revolutionary and inspiring - no doubt you will be able to do your washing in a Mac soon anyway.

[The Steves]

Apple: Never had a virus, dependable, innovative and priced competitively...I'll take brainwashed.

[Szt]

The Steves:

that's because it's based on Linux...

Bet you didn't know that! The distro's name is Darwin. No wonder it's stable, has no viruses, but I DEEPLY object paying such a huge price for 'the looks'. Clearly not worth the price you pay for it.

[alfred e. newman]

apple users are brainwashed, you know.

Apple: The device that all brands are created on.

I love how coke is in both love and hate sections! but being big can never be cool, The winner for would be Linn Products every day.

[Roland]

apple os x is based on unix Darwin not linux

[Paul Q]

Please don't call the Apple acolytes 'artsy' that is far too flattering a word. Simplicity is the essence of the massively overhyped and overpriced brand. Plain and simple.

[Nathan]

As the owner of a Mac I'm fairly sure that I'm not brainwashed just bored and tired of fighting with my old PC! I'm also entirely certain that I'm not arty! At all! Apple produce easy to use intuitive machines and devices and deserve recognition for that.