Apple Again Ranked as World's Most Valuable Brand

 

Apple Again Ranked as World's Most Valuable Brand

Published on MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors | shared via feedly

Studies of "brand value" are always difficult to compare, as widely differing methodologies used by those measuring such data yield markedly different results. But tracking year-to-year movements using a consistent methodology can offer some interesting perspectives, and so Millward's Brown's latest BrandZ study (via The Next Web) makes for a good look at trends in marketing and branding.

In the 2012 brand rankings released today, Apple tops the list for the second year in a row, scoring a brand value of nearly $183 billion as compared to last year's $153 billion figure that saw Apple move into the top position for the first time. Apple's 19% growth was the strongest among the top ten brands.

David Roth for WPP said “Brands help businesses create competitive differentiation, command a price premium and become more resilient to crises or economic turbulence. This year, those businesses that leveraged technology, focused on the customer experience or boosted control of their brands thrived."

Apple continues to innovate and maintain its ‘luxury’ brand status, but faces future competition from Samsung. Now worth more than $14.1 billion, thanks in part to the success of its Galaxy handsets, Samsung is successfully outpacing Apple in a significant number of markets by positioning as a cool, well-priced alternative to the ubiquitous iPhone.”

Still, Samsung's brand value of $14.1 billion for a 55th place ranking paled in comparison to Apple, and the company's 16% growth in brand value was unable to match Apple's performance.

Among other top brands, IBM passed Google to take the second spot in the rankings with a brand value of nearly $116 billion as seven of the top ten spots were held by technology or communications companies. Facebook saw the largest percentage gain among top companies, with its brand value jumping by 74% to $33 billion, a leap of sixteen places to number 19 in the rankings.

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Ali's communion

Ali's communion

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Facebook IPO: bank support spares blushes as shares end first day flat

 

Facebook IPO: bank support spares blushes as shares end first day flat

Published on Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | shared via feedly

It was the day Facebook failed to live up to the hype. The world's largest social networking site was spared the embarrassment of seeing its shares fall on the company's multi-billion stock market debut in New York because the banks advising it stepped in to buy.

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Apple in Talks to Bring 'WatchESPN' App to Apple TV

Apple in Talks to Bring 'WatchESPN' App to Apple TV

Published on MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - Front Page | shared via feedly mobile

Bloomberg briefly reports that Apple and Disney are in talks to bring sports network ESPN's WatchESPN application [App Store] to the Apple TV set-top box.

ESPN subscribers with AppleTV would gain access to the network’s Internet service on their TV sets. [Sean] Bratches, the network’s executive vice president of affiliate and advertising sales, spoke in an interview today.

The brief report doesn't specify exactly how access to the WatchESPN functionality on the Apple TV would work, but currently customers of a number of cable and Internet companies have varying levels of access to the app's content on iOS and other platforms, which includes nearly all of ESPN's live broadcasts including online-only ESPN3 content.

Currently, cable subscribers through Comcast, Time Warner, Verizon FiOS, and Bright House have full access to WatchESPN content, while subscribers on a host of other Internet services can receive access to the ESPN3 content through the app.

WatchESPN being sent to Apple TV via AirPlay
iOS device users who are eligible to access WatchESPN content can currently send the content to an Apple TV via AirPlay, but including the app directly on the Apple TV would streamline that process.

Update: Bloomberg has expanded its article with additional comments from Bratches:

“We’re a platform-agnostic content company,” Bratches, the network’s executive vice president of affiliate and advertising sales, said today in an interview. “To the extent that in the future there’s an opportunity with Apple to authenticate through the pay-TV food chain as we’re doing with Microsoft, that’s something that we will participate in.”

Update 2: Bloomberg has updated its article once again, citing comments from an ESPN spokesperson backtracking from Bratches' statements by noting that there are no active talks with Apple underway.

No deal is imminent with Apple, said Amy Phillips, a spokeswoman for Bristol, Connecticut-based ESPN.

“We’re not having conversations with Apple about authenticating WatchESPN,” Phillips said.

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Next MacBook Air Update to Focus on Retina Displays Too?

Next MacBook Air Update to Focus on Retina Displays Too?

Published on MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - Front Page | shared via feedly mobile

With long-running rumors of ultra high-resolution "Retina" displays for Apple's next-generation MacBook Pro receiving a significant boost with reports from several sources surfacing yesterday and similar upgrades now being rumored for the iMac, fans of the MacBook Air have been awaiting word on when they might expect Apple's smallest Mac notebooks to gain the feature.

9to5Mac now reports that Apple is indeed unsurprisingly planning to bring Retina displays to the MacBook Air, with that upgrade being the most significant change for the next-generation line.

Apple’s new MacBook Air will not see major changes across the entire computer like the next-generation MacBook Pro, but this update will truly be all about the Retina Display. [...]

Apple is preparing both new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models. These new Airs lack notable design changes, but feature fast and power-efficient Ivy Bridge processors and improved graphics engines to support the Retina Display, according to supply chain sources. The new Airs will also use improved Apple internal battery technology in order to support the battery life required by high-pixel-density screens such as the Retina Display, according to sources familiar with prototype versions of the super-thin notebook’s internal components.

The report's source suggests that the updated MacBook Air is unlikely to appear at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference, with Apple still working to meet the Retina display's power requirements within the MacBook Air's thin form factor.

Apple is also reportedly undecided on whether it will include USB 3.0 in the next-generation MacBook Air. The USB 3.0 standard, offering higher data transfer speeds, is reportedly being included on the revamped MacBook Pro, but the company is still weighing whether it wants to bring the standard to its lower-priced MacBook Air line.

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