iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app More

Google Beats Out Apple, Facebook, And Twitter For Most Popular Tech Brand: Poll

The Huffington Post  |  By Posted: 04/ 9/2012 5:29 pm Updated: 04/ 9/2012 6:13 pm

Google

If the tech world were a high school, Google, apparently, would be crowned prom queen.

According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released on April 5, Google beat out Apple, Facebook, and Twitter to win the title of most popular tech brand.

Langer Research Associates, a survey research management and consulting firm, contacted 1,007 adults from March 28 through April 1 to gauge their opinions of mega tech companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, and Twitter.

The poll shows that a whopping 82 percent of Americans hold a favorable opinion of Google overall, while 53 percent hold a "strongly" favorable opinion of the expansive Internet company.

Apple rolls in at a close second: 74 percent of Americans express a favorable opinion of the company overall, while only 37 percent express a "strongly" favorable opinion. Facebook and Twitter bring up the rear with 58 percent and 34 percent of Americans, respectively, expressing favorable opinions of the social networks.

LOOK:

The poll also reveals that the tech companies' popularity seems to peak within different demographics. For example, people with household incomes of $100,000 or more seem to favor Google and Apple most; 93 and 91 percent of people within this demographic express favorable opinions of Google and Apple, respectively.

Unsurprisingly, Facebook seems to be most popular with young adults, 76 percent of whom express a favorable opinion of the social network. Twitter, on the other hand, is seen favorably by only 42 percent of young adults and unfavorably by nearly the same percentage, 43 percent.

In addition to being popular with American consumers, Google seems to be pretty well-liked by its employees, too. According to a March survey by Glassdoor, Google scored higher than Facebook in employee satisfaction ratings of the company overall, compensation/benefits, and work/life balance.

The Atlantic calls attention to the fact that these numbers seem to be pretty high considering some of the privacy concerns that have arisen for a few of these companies in recent weeks.

Even Google CEO Larry Page is aware of the complicated relationship that often exists between customers and companies. As The Atlantic pointed out, he touched on the subject in a letter to investors posted on April 5, writing:

We have always wanted Google to be a company that is deserving of great love. But we recognize this is an ambitious goal because most large companies are not well-loved, or even seemingly set up with that in mind. We’re lucky to have a very direct relationship with our users, which creates a strong incentive for us to do the right thing.

Given the extent to which companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, and Twitter have become engrained in our everyday lives -- and how much slack we're apparently willing to give them -- it seems they may be off the hook...at least for now.

What do you think of the results of this poll? Which tech company do you like best? Let us know in the comments, then take a look through the slideshow (below) to see the 9 most valuable tech brands in the U.S., according to a report from September 2011.

#9 - eBay
1  of  10
PLAY
FULLSCREEN
ZOOM
SHARE THIS SLIDE 
Brand Value September 1, 2011: 9,420
Overall U.S. Rank: 41

Also on HuffPost:

FOLLOW TECH

From our partners


If the tech world were a high school, Google, apparently, would be crowned prom queen. According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released on April 5, ...
If the tech world were a high school, Google, apparently, would be crowned prom queen. According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released on April 5, ...
 
 
  • Comments
  • 51
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Post Comment Preview Comment
To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to.
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
Page: 1 2  Next ›  Last »  (2 total)
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ppenguinator
Life's too imprtant to be taken seriously.
04:35 PM on 04/10/2012
I'm not surprised. They're one of the most innovative companies out there, and most of us use their products every day.
12:45 PM on 04/10/2012
What! microsoft smear campaign didn't work? Man, MS should try harder next time.
http://falkvinge.net/2012/03/02/how-microsoft-pays-big-money-to-smear-google-audaciously/
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Judith K Bogdanove
11:28 AM on 04/10/2012
APPLE all the way! Go Mac! Go iPhone! Go iPad! Go healthy computer! APPLE! I like using Google, but without my Apple products, where would it live?
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ppenguinator
Life's too imprtant to be taken seriously.
04:12 PM on 04/10/2012
The rest of us don't have any problems.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
moutonnoir
iconoclastic demagoguery
12:38 PM on 04/11/2012
Google and apple are both sort of outright evil, controlling power-mad companies that wantonly manipulate our legislative processes..
10:17 AM on 04/10/2012
omg i should know this from the start we www.socialmediadvertise.com never miss this news
photo
nonChristian
Not even Jesus can save me
10:06 AM on 04/10/2012
Google is popular because of its open source, free for all policies. When Apple made iphone, Google could have just stood up and make a gphone but they didn't. They made free for all Android. Most of their applications are free for general use and help people a lot.

Apple on the other hand may have the best hardware and good software out there, but their seclusionist policies are not very favoured. They restrict the use of their devices, have proprietary accessories, refuse personalisation of their devices, demand credit card numbers for free stuff. If Apple were more open it would be on the top here.
11:50 PM on 04/10/2012
Actually they did put and android phone soon after on tmobile, and it was pure shit. Android went from being a blackberry ripoff to an iphone one. Apple finally broke carrier control to give the user a quality UI, update schedule, and ecosystem, Google has created nothing but carrier ridden fragmentation where you average person can buy a phone today that runs an OS two versions behind. Their apps are free because they're an advertising company not a product comapny.

How bout the same google that renigged on most of their promises in terms of privacy, agnostic and accurate search, and merging what were originally self contained information silos.
photo
nonChristian
Not even Jesus can save me
08:16 AM on 04/11/2012
Android was never made to fit any particular mobile phone. It was never modelled after iOS because of the same reason. iOS is designed for ONE particular phone android was never intended for one.
I don't care if it fragmented, it is free. I can download entire source code modify it and create my own OS. Apple asks money for every single stupid thing.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
gemini68
09:54 AM on 04/10/2012
I would love to know what the demographics of the people polled were. Because no one I know under the age of 40 would have picked Google.
photo
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
J0E1
Don't blame me, I'm not a republicrat.
10:44 AM on 04/10/2012
What would they have picked?  Alta Vista?  Ask Jeeves?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
gemini68
11:21 AM on 04/10/2012
Cute. But of course not.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Judith K Bogdanove
11:28 AM on 04/10/2012
Compuserve?
lurkinman
Clear thinking is best served non-partisan
11:39 AM on 04/10/2012
Click the link in the story in the 2nd paragraph - "According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll" - the entire methodology for the poll can be found.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
John Crane
06:26 AM on 04/10/2012
What do you mean "if the tech world were a high school"? Popularity polls like this have turned the tech world into a high school. Why don't you publish a year book, while you are at it?
05:14 AM on 04/10/2012
Interesting
This comment has been removed due to violations of our [Guidelines]
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
04:09 AM on 04/10/2012
DEAR HUFFPOST WHO ON EARTH DID YOU POLL? Users would like to know! It can't be anyone we know, or us! How RECENT is this flawed poll?
lurkinman
Clear thinking is best served non-partisan
09:20 AM on 04/10/2012
If you had clicked on the link in the story in the 2nd paragraph - "According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll" (helpfully highlighted in blue text) - the entire methodology for the poll can be found.

HuffPo didn't conduct the poll, by the way - again, as the 2nd paragraph indicates.

Can you explain why you came to the conclusion that this poll is "flawed"? Users would like to know.
photo
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
J0E1
Don't blame me, I'm not a republicrat.
10:46 AM on 04/10/2012
Because he is an Apple Fanboy and he thinks everyone loves Apple.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
11:20 AM on 04/10/2012
See below
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
gemini68
09:54 AM on 04/10/2012
It says who conducted the poll in the second paragraph of the article. Did you actually read it or just comment on the headline??
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
11:18 AM on 04/10/2012
Yes I can read. I'd like to the demographics of only 1005 people interviewed I believe it said by landline and cell phones. I think that a Television station and a Newspaper calling 1005 people and asking a rather vague or poor demographic. That is why I think it is flawed. I see I am not the only user who had such thoughts also.

Also the methodology mentioned at the bottom of the article you are referencing here, IS NOT INCLUDED referencing the ABC NEWS /Washington Post poll article:

"METHODOLOGY – This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline andcell phone March 28-April 1, 2012, among a random national sample of 1,007 adults. Resultshave a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points. The survey was produced for ABC News byLanger Research Associatesof New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and "tabulation bySSRS/Social Science Research Solutions of Media, Pa."
Also
Note the polling agency mentioned link brings you to an advertisement and the note at the bottom .
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
02:17 PM on 04/11/2012
gemini68 Then WHY do you keep writing and it comes to me in EMAIL TWICE TODAY April 11th apparently you don't have enough to do other than send me snarky comments when you yourself posted the same question I did. Stop writing to me if you have so much better to do and days after the comment? Get out perhaps... something.. anything...
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
01:08 AM on 04/10/2012
goofy poll and meaningless comparisons, other than for stock holders. apple makes consumer electronics. google is all over the place (gmail, search, satellite mapping, etc.), facebook is it's own thing. twitter is such a small niche.
07:07 AM on 04/10/2012
i believe the subject is name branding not actual services rendered
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
07:49 AM on 04/10/2012
i get it. but it's sort of like comparing branding between levi's, coca cola, exxon mobile and wal-mart...
10:28 PM on 04/09/2012
This survey is flawed. It was basically a TECH survey put on by two OLD MEDIA outlets. Does anyone else see the irony in a newspaper and a TV station having a poll about that mostly deals with online companies?
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ResearchtheFacts
Alert, awake & paying attention to the details.
10:09 PM on 04/09/2012
Who the heck did they survey? Geez, Dell made the freakin list with the junk that lights up that they are selling as computer equipment. Guess those Apple bots got their feeling hurt.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
04:05 AM on 04/10/2012
That is what we were wondering here in our home/town/family No one likes Google and what they are doing! Too bad all that gets published is this misleading article and the headlines! Shame on the author.
07:09 AM on 04/10/2012
that is not true... the average internet user has little or no idea of the concerns you have about Google and other possibilities for internet spying and sales pitches
lurkinman
Clear thinking is best served non-partisan
09:22 AM on 04/10/2012
You took a poll of everyone in your town and found out that "no one likes Google"?
07:06 PM on 04/09/2012
W00t GO GOOGLE
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
auramac
06:54 PM on 04/09/2012
Google is not on my list.