I Love Linux, Google, And Apple

[Chris]

The following write-up was written by Jennifer Rice (http://brand.blogs.com/mantra/).

Just for fun, I started typing in "I hate (brand)" in Google to see what comes up. I then got curious about the findings for "I love (brand)." Here's the love/hate score for a random selection of brands. While I was at it, I did a "passion index" against the average number of comments for these brands (positive or negative). Microsoft, Walmart, Comcast (http://brand.blogs.com/mantra/2005/02/i_hate_comcast.html) and McDonalds are the big losers on the Love/Hate score. No surprise. (And yes, this is the random stuff I do when I'm procrastinating.)

Brand-----Hate-----Love-----L/H Score-----Passion Score
Linux-----3860-----34,000-----8.8-----358.8
Google-----1170-----22900-----19.6-----233.2
Microsoft-----16600-----5990-----0.4-----214.1
Apple-----696-----16100-----23.1-----159.2
McDonalds-----3540-----2730-----0.8-----59.4
Yahoo-----2800-----2950-----1.1-----54.4
Target-----438-----4950-----11.3-----51.1
Walmart-----4850-----534-----0.1-----51
Dell-----2410-----2240-----0.9-----44.1
Ikea-----469-----3350-----7.1-----36.2
Comcast-----1800-----318-----0.2-----20.1
Starbucks-----861-----878-----1.0-----16.5

Big thanks to Christopher (http://socialcustomer.typepad.com/) for helping me get this info into a table format!

[Andilinks]

Thanks for this!

I have always used the "(brand) sucks" comparison, perhaps we could get Jennifer to add that column to see how it compares to the "(brand) hate" totals?

Seriously, for several years I have been doing this "(brand) sucks" Google before making major purchases. The results, like Jennifer's have been interesting.

Things that must be figured in: how long has a brand been on the market, how many different products are marketed using the brand. Some brands can be tarnished by one bad product while the its other lines are still loved.

Andi

[freehits]

I was trying to tie your stats with the net worth of each company as there seemed to be a tendency to hate the larger and far reaching ones which have been painted as "old boys" by their competition.

After some issue finding a good indicator of this, I notice th pattern seems to be the "david" and "goliath" of each industry and how they market themselves.

I am defining each term as the company perceived as the dominating force in its genre of industry, as compared to the one considered to be the alternative to that choice.

Alot of this I believe is the marketing angle taken from day one. These companies know we want to root for an underdog, so they try to wrap themselves in that image, even when making billions a year.

I think the stigma is what prompts these feelings more than a lack of quality service or product.

Anyone who travels knows that McDonalds does a good job of clean environments, profitable franchises, good clean marketing, and associations with good charities and programs. McDonalds all star basketball, ronald McDonald house etc...

Yet since they are the clear goliath of the food industry, people feel negatively toward them.

While name brands that are surrounding themselves with an air of "we are the alternative to the big corporates" marketing scheme are received better across the board.

This is marketing angle and the way the public views the name more than product or service quality in my opinion. I feel target and McDonalds to both rate in a similar way in quality of organization but one is the David and the other the Goliath.

Walmart-----4850-----534-----0.1-----Goliath
Microsoft-----16600-----5990-----0.4-----Goliath
McDonalds-----3540-----2730-----0.8-----Goliath

Yahoo-----2800-----2950-----1.1-----mixed
Target-----438-----4950-----11.3-----David
Linux-----3860-----34,000-----David
Google-----1170-----22900-----David
Apple-----696-----16100-----23.1-----David
Dell-----2410-----2240-----0.9-----mixed
Ikea-----469-----3350-----7.1-----mixed
Starbucks-----861-----878-----1.0-----David

Other posts have eluded to the way people turn on a company when they become the big player, and this you have shown supports that.

[janeth]

I never knew so many people liked Target

[freehits]

Exceptional franchise from where I see it.
Efficient checkout, good store labels, they even sprung for the better quality credit card machines at the checkout with a paperless approach that walmart needs to clear the huge lines faster.

[Andilinks]

Interesting coincidence, I just read this about Target:

http://www.fool.com/News/mft/2005/mft05021728.htm

[IIxxVADERxxII]

I never knew so many people liked Target
LOL ; )

Well, when you build more targets you generate more sales. What happens when they stop building targets? To the moon, woo hoo!

I always use (brand) sucks as well.

[handry]

Building target is the same as you build your networking and leads generator.

But to find a related targeted clientele is more difficult to againts your competitors.

[Szechuan]

As a relative newbie to the "new age" of internet, Google, HTML, etc. it never occurred to me to use Google as a market research tool. Such interesting results! I'd love to thank the original poster -- my book (in its infancy) about why people buy things and what appeals to them will take a huge jump forward with this idea!

In fact, I now have a yellow stickie attached to my computer that says "have you tried SEARCH - INTERNET? - ask your computer, stupid!"

Now, about Target -- At first I thought the concept was way too far ahead of its time. Nope. The target in our relatively wealthy community is thriving (I thought that most of the folks who shop at the chic specialty shops in our local mall, known as one of the east coast's most fashionable, would eschew the idea of anything that even minutely smacked of a K-Mart, Wal-Mart or "Any-Mart" concept).

I see Target things in homes of local friends of modest means, and in homes of very wealthy friends. I even buy Target stuff for my restaurant 'cause it's cheaper than from a commercial wholesaler and lasts just as long!

[handry]

For now in the new ages that you mention on is the ages for Search Engine to set your related target.

But many ways to create a good targeted markets. It not just Google, Html , internet.. for what you mean online strategy effort.

But some of peoples writing books or articles to set their campaign. This stuff I think is more fashionable self targeting.

Some of peoples doing word of mouth and internal friends targets.

All of that depends on which ways and options you choosed on.

[freehits]

Am i reading the same post?

Handry, I believe the conversation is about the store with the name "Target".

[innoff]

Dell is also selling dead computers to unsuspecting victims. I found out the hard way. The computer sent to me last week lasted 2 days before it died. I can even get them to pick up the computer and take it back and either replace it or give me my money back. What a night mare!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Allen
Las Vegas
investorrelations@financier.com