Apple retakes ‘world’s favorite company’ title as Google drops out on a technicality

Apple has once more been dubbed the world’s favorite company after last year losing out to Google.

Each year, FutureBrand looks at the world’s 100 largest companies and asks 3,000 consumers and industry professionals to score them on a range of factors, and to explain how they feel about their preferred companies. The two top feelings respondents had toward Apple were passion and admiration. Apple was ranked highly for individuality, authenticity, innovation and thought-leadership.

However, it’s possible that Apple may have retaken the number one slot on a technicality …

With Google’s reorganization, only parent company Alphabet is big enough to make it onto the top 100 shortlist – as CNET notes, Google itself doesn’t qualify. While Alphabet did take 21st place, it obviously doesn’t have the same brand awareness as Google, and it’s hard to attribute specific qualities to such a diverse company.

Either way, though, Apple is back in the #1 slot, ahead of fellow tech companies Microsoft and Samsung. The top 10 are rounded out by Walt Disney, AbbVie, Facebook, Toyota, Amazon, Celgene and Gilead Sciences – some of the lesser-known names suggesting that industry professionals play a significant role in the rankings.

Asked where they saw Apple now and in three years’ time, more than three-quarters of respondents said that Apple was moving ahead, and would continue to do so. Almost half would buy from Apple, and almost as many would work for the company.