Branding

Check out Twitter’s new default profile image replacing the infamous egg avatar

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 31, 2017

In a blog post today titled “Rethinking our default profile photo”, Twitter announced that accounts without a profile image will now show a new, more generic avatar rather than the old icon resembling an egg. Twitter recently added new features to its mobile app in the form of notification filters that let you filter out “egg” accounts, as well as mute words, phrases and more in your timelines. The original egg profile image has lasted on the service for full seven years, but it's now run its course.

Pandora refreshes its brand identity ahead of on-demand music streaming service launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 12, 2016

Whether you listen to ad-supported Pandora or Pandora Plus, an improved version of its $5 per month Pandora One offering, you'll be enjoying Pandora's new logo and brand identity which the company unveiled in a blog post today. As Pandora Plus is now available to everyone, Pandora has decided to celebrate that milestone by unveiling “a new brand to enhance your Pandora experience and help bring your music to life.

Apple is dropping “Store” from retail locations and online in branding simplification move

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2016

What was once “Apple Store Fifth Avenue” is now just “Apple Fifth Avenue” as the Cupertino firm starts dropping “Store” branding from its retail locations and online. The change is live on the Apple Retail website as brick-and-mortar locations no longer have “Store” titling, as first discovered by MacRumors.

Is Apple going to rebrand OS X as ‘macOS’?

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 30, 2016

OS X, the desktop operating system which powers the Mac—“it's what makes a Mac a Mac,” says Apple—does not fit into the company's current OS naming scheme that has already given us watchOS, tvOS and iOS, but that might be about to change.

According to Portuguese-language site MacMagazine.com.br, developer Guilherme Rambo has discovered an interesting mention of 'macOS' in the “FUFlightViewController_macOS.nib” interface file within the FlightUtilities framework inside OS X code.

Have you checked out Google’s new playful logo yet?

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 1, 2015

As part of its massive restructuring effort, the Internet giant Google on Tuesday showed off its brand new logo. While the Mountain View company has refined its logo multiple times over the past seventeen years, today's announcement marks the biggest visual change to Google's brand identity thus far.

The new logo reflects the fact that people now interact with Google across many different platforms, apps and devices, the company argues.

Check out the new logo and identity family and tell us in comments how you liked them.

Apple overtakes Samsung as China’s top mobile brand in awareness and loyalty

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 5, 2014

Zooming past its biggest rival Samsung, Apple has officially emerged as China's #1 mobile brand in both awareness and loyalty, according to the latest consumer survey conducted by the China Brand Research Center’s.

The research firm's 2014 China Brand Power Index polled a whopping 13,500 Chinese across 30 cities, aged 15 to 60, from August 2013 to January 2014.

According to CNET, Samsung's focus on market share rather than customer satisfaction and loyalty has contributed to its fall from the top spot it had previously held in China since 2012.

Apple once again tops Interbrand’s Best Global Brands ranking

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 26, 2017

For the second year in a row, Apple tops Interbrand’s Best Global Brands ranking, an annual report that analyzes the brand value of the largest corporations in the world. Just like last year, Google scores the second place, right ahead of Coca Cola. Valued at $118.9 billion, Apple increased its brand value by 21%, while Google, valued at $107.43 billion, increased its brand value by 15%.

“Apple and Google’s meteoric rise to more than USD $100 billion is truly a testament to the power of brand building,” said Jez Frampton, Interbrand’s Global Chief Executive Officer. These leading brands have reached new pinnacles—in terms of both their growth and in the history of Best Global Brands—by creating experiences that are seamless, contextually relevant, and increasingly based around an overarching ecosystem of integrated products and services, both physical and digital.”

For more details, have a look at the 2014 rankings, as well as the methodology used.

Google surpasses Apple as world’s most valuable brand in latest study

Cody Lee ∙ May 21, 2014

It seems like every couple of weeks, a new study comes out telling us who the most valuable brand in the world is based on various metrics. The winner changes from time to time, but I'd guess more times than not in recent years, it's been Apple.

That's not that case, however in the latest study. Marketing research firm Millward Brown is out with its annual BrandZ study this morning, and after sitting at the top for 3 years in a row, the iPad-maker has been usurped by Google for the #1 spot...

Apple named most valuable ‘billion dollar brand’ in the US

Cody Lee ∙ March 19, 2014

A new report was released yesterday by brand consulting agency Brand Finance, naming the top "billion dollar brands" in the United States. The list was compiled estimating the royalty rate that would be charged to use a company's brand and combing that with expected future revenue.

Unsurprisingly, Apple was ranked number one by a long shot, with a value of $104.7 billion. The iPad-maker is the most valuable company in the world in terms of market cap, and has taken the top spot several times in other brand value lists. Google came in second place at $68.6 billion...

Microsoft’s SkyDrive is now OneDrive

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Microsoft's multi-platform cloud storage service SkyDrive has just been rechristened and shall be known henceforth as OneDrive. The rebranding comes following last June's ruling in a trademark case involving Microsoft and British TV broadcaster BSkyB.

As the television broadcaster trademarked the term 'Sky,' the court ordered that Microsoft concede the 'SkyDrive' trademark to BSkyB.

One of the largest pay-TV providers in Europe, BSkyB offers video streaming and has its own online storage service called Sky Store & Share...

Apple surpasses Coca-Cola to become world’s most valuable brand

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple has overtaken Coca-Cola as the new most valuable brand in the world, according to a new report from brand consulting firm Interbrand. The move puts an end to the beverage company's 13-year reign as #1.

The firm calculates that the Apple brand is worth in upwards of $100 billion. And it says that its 'ethos' played a big factor in why the iPad-maker was able to beat out other tech companies like Google and Samsung...

Apple wins ‘Brand of the Year’ for computers, smartphones and tablets

Cody Lee ∙ July 26, 2013

Apple may be losing smartphone and tablet marketshare, but it's still the top brand in those categories. This, according to data from a recent US-based study on consumer brand perception by Marketing research firm Harris Interactive.

The firm polled some 38,000 Americans regarding their perceptions of their favorite brands, and Apple came out on top in 3 categories. As a result, Harris named the company the 'brand of the year' for smartphones, tablets and computers...