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The Most-Loved Digital Brands

Venerable, long-lived brands such as McDonald’s, IBM and Ford have been among the most iconic brands for decades. Today, they are joined by a number of digital companies that are just as iconic.

Here’s a closer look at the most-loved digital brands and how they got there.

Amazon
Amazon has established itself as the world’s leading overnight delivery and shopping portal, offering millions of products in an easy-to-search platform. It also, like Netflix, is a content delivery platform and a creative content producer.

Apple
The iBrand began its modern resurgence with the introduction of the iPod, but it was the launch of the iPhone that has transformed the way the world interacts. Far more than a smartphone these days, the iPhone is a seemingly must-have for adults and children alike, providing email, web access and apps galore.

Google
How many companies can you think of that have become verbs? “Just Google it,” is probably one of the most frequently uttered phrases in many languages today. The omnipresent search engine isn’t just an information portal. Today, Google is involved in virtual reality, driverless cars, smartphones, and any number of other projects.

Microsoft
Microsoft is still the brand of choice when it comes to computer operating systems, popular products for word processing, accounting, email management, calendaring and presentations.

Netflix
After making its mark in the overnight DVD delivery business, Netflix today is as well known as a content creator and content platform. One of its most recent creations, “The Crown,” won the 2017 Golden Globe for best TV drama for its portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II’s early years as monarch.

Samsung
On a global basis, Samsung is a phenomenon. Its Galaxy smartphone has actually outsold the iPhone for more than five years and is a less expensive product. The company did suffer a bit of a setback in 2016 when its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone had problems with batteries that had an unfortunate tendency to explode.

YouTube
While YouTube is actually now owned by Google, YouTube is by itself among the most respected brands. Every minute, an estimated 300 hours of video are uploaded to the platform. YouTube is actually the world’s second-largest search engine, just behind its parent organization.

Brands on the Verge
As we begin 2017, there are a number of brands that are likely to join the list above in the coming years. Already, many of these companies are in the mainstream of day-to-day life and may soon become beloved. They include:

    • AirBnB, the app that allows you to find an inexpensive room or couch to crash on when traveling
    • Instagram, the photo-sharing app that has grown from 30 million users when Facebook bought it in 2012 to 500 million today
    • Spotify, the music streaming service that has grown from cult status to one of the world’s most popular ways to listen to tunes
    • Square, the company that allows small merchants to accept transactions on a cellphone or tablet
    • Tesla, Elon Musk’s electric car company that has devotees and followers as much as it has customers
    • Uber, the ride-sharing service that lets customers, with a few clicks, hail a ride not from a taxi but from a regular Joe

Which companies will be beloved decades from now remains to be seen. With the pace of technological innovation, it’s possible a whole new batch of companies may usurp any of these digital dynamos … or the Golden Arches … in years to come.