Websites storm up ranks as Google takes top brand

INTERNET firm Google has again pipped Apple to the top spot in a global brand ranking which sees YouTube and Wikipedia enter the top five for the first time.

The annual survey by online branding magazine brandchannel.com often throws up controversial results, such as in 2004 when Arabic TV station Al Jazeera was named the world’s fifth most influential brand.

This year the 3,625 people who voted have again surprised, awarding upstart firms star status when asked: “Which brand had the most impact on our lives in 2006?”

Google, the Internet search engine which has expanded regionally and moved into online advertising, mail and blogging, seized the top spot for the second consecutive year, ahead of Apple, which again comes in second.

More surprisingly, video-sharing website YouTube, which was bought by Google last October, stormed into third. Online encyclopedia Wikipedia makes the fourth spot, pushing coffee-shop behemoth Starbucks to fifth.

Brandchannel editor Anthony Zumpano said the “dramatic debut” of newcomers like YouTube and Wikipedia “is an indication of the growing impact of online brands built on user-generated content”.

Other new brand winners were online chat site MySpace, debuting at 15th in the North America rankings, and Al Jazeera, which advances to 19th globally having launched its English-language channel in November. It fell from fifth to 25th place in 2005.

The poll does not take account of economic brand value, which regularly puts Coca-Cola’s Coke in first place, nor does it consider if the brand’s impact is positive or negative.

Brandchannel split the poll by regions and in North America the rundown was similar to the global outcome, albeit with Apple in first, followed by YouTube, Google, Starbucks and Wikipedia.

In Europe, Swedish furniture giant Ikea knocked Nokia off the top spot and into third place. Skype comes in second, with fast-fashion brand Zara in fourth and Adidas in fifth.

Likewise, local firms dominate the Asia-Pacific region poll with the top five places taken by Sony, Toyota, HSBC, Samsung and Honda.

Latin America’s top two were party beverages Corona and Bacardi, with mobile phone firm Movistar third. Sandal maker Havaianas took fourth and Bimbo, the world’s number-three bread maker, came in fifth.