Microsoft takes top brand spot as Apple ‘loses its lustre’
A brand survey conducted by Forrester Research has placed Microsoft as the top brand in the US territory, beating Apple into second spot.
Microsoft takes the top spot
Forrester said Microsoft’s "One Microsoft," strategy had resonated in the survey of over 4,500 Americans.
"We were surprised by the results, too," said Tracy Stokes, the Forrester analyst who led the team.
"Apple's lost a little bit of its lustre. Time was definitely a factor. I think the results would have been much different a year or 18 months earlier."
Sony and Samsung were named third and fourth respectively.
"Microsoft's essentiality is so ubiquitous, there's really no alternative to Windows and Office," said Stokes.
"Microsoft has a utilitarian essentiality, not the kind of emotional essentiality that Apple relies on.
"Although Apple is seen as providing products and services 'that meet my needs' and offering 'the highest-quality product/offering,' consumers do not consider Apple to be as essential as Microsoft," Stokes said.
"Apple was once emotionally essential, but as it loses its emotional hold, it won't be able to win solely on utilitarian qualities."
The survey concluded that Microsoft has more broad support across every demographic age group, whilst Apple and Samsung scored best in younger age groups.