Google Reigns as Most Popular Tech Brand, Poll Finds
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JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — In the high-flying world of iconic technology brands, two — Google and Apple — tower at remarkable levels of public popularity in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll. But add in strength of sentiment and one of them claims the crown.
An almost unheard-of 82 percent of Americans express a favorable opinion of Google overall, the national survey finds, and a majority, 53 percent, express a “strongly” favorable opinion of the world’s leading search engine.
Apple’s no slouch: Seventy-four percent see it favorably. But in addition to trailing Google by a relatively slim eight percentage points overall, it lags by a wider 16 points in strong devotees.
Another leading tech brand is popular, albeit less so — 58 percent of Americans in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, express an overall favorable opinion of Facebook. But a fourth brand does less well: Only a third rate Twitter favorably, while about as many have a negative view of the creator of 140-character commentary.
The time is ripe for this sort of assessment, given these companies’ envied positions in the marketplace.
Google has followed up its vast lead in Internet search and advertising with online and mobile technology software, among an array of other initiatives. Just Wednesday, the company provided a first look at the Google glasses concept, its “augmented reality” eyewear project.
Apple’s totemic products have made it the most valuable company in the world; it announced a dividend and stock buyback program last month as its shares soared past $600, with analysts pegging $1,000 as a possibility.
Facebook, the world’s largest social networking site, is set to go public later this year in what is expected to be the largest internet initial public offering ever.
And Twitter, the youngest of the four, has claimed its position as a combined social networking, messaging and marketing tool.
In addition to very broad popularity, Google and Apple share vast exposure. Just 10 percent of Americans haven’t formed a basic opinion of Google, and 14 percent have no opinion of Apple and Facebook alike. Twitter is less well known, with 31 percent unready to express an opinion of it.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio