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 Third
and fourth on the list are Swedish furniture retailer IKEA and American
coffee brand Starbucks. Both IKEA and Starbucks expanded in 2004.
IKEA opened ten more stores in 2004 and has staked out 20 new locations
for 2005.
Qatar based Arab news channel Al Jazeera has been voted the world's
fifth most influential brand, making a first time ever addition
to the household name list.
The latest development on the station, which is often criticised
by the US for its coverage of the Iraq war, is that the Qatari government
is considering plans to privatise the Al Jazeera Satellite television
network. Leaving aside the controversies, Al Jazeera is viewed as
relatively independent within its region and is increasingly gaining
mainstream credibility beyond its borders. The company itself claims
to "cover all viewpoints with objectivity integrity and balance."
Already offering news in English at AlJazeera.net and AlJazeera.com,
the company, which has over 35 million viewers and 30 bureaus worldwide,
is planning to launch an English channel satellite service in 2005.
Late last year, the network also inked a deal with Rajat Sharma's
India TV, which involved an "exchange" of content.
Other brands in the top ten are previous year mainstays, with Germany's
Mini and America's Coca-Cola sliding from the top five in 2003 to
sixth and seventh in 2004. Finland's Nokia slipped from seventh
to tenth. A notable newcomer to the top 10 is eBay (in the ninth
slot). The American online auctioneer claims 95 million registered
users, and in 2004 expanded abroad to Asia, South America and Europe,
allowing people all over the world to sell things they don't want
and buy things they don't need.
The annual Readers' Choice Awards recognise brands that have the
most impact (either positive or negative) on people each year. A
total of 1,984 Brandchannel readers from 75 countries voted
online between November and December 2004.
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