In ranking it's "Good Brands of 2010", PSFK, a trends research and innovation company, said being a "good" brand in 2010 requires more than just "a widely used product." Maybe so. Still, that's one thing PSFK's top 11 brands undoubtedly have in common. Call it "imagination" or "innovation" or even "social consciousness" but cutting edge products and services drive the success of these brands.
#11 - Facebook - Facebook has 400 million users checking in daily and soon plans to introduce satellite portals on other websites through which Facebook friends can interact, according to the New York Times.
#10 - Nintendo - Nintendo recently announced the release of a 3-D gaming on its DS System that doesn't require glasses, says PSFK's Good Brands 2010 Report.
#9 - Foursquare - Foursquare is a location-based social networking service for mobile devices that allows users to "check in" at venues (restaurants or shops), and earn digital "badges" that can be exchanged for deals at those venues. As of March 2010, Foursquare had more than 500,000 users visiting 1.4 million venues, according to the company's blog. BLOGTACTIC'S COMMENT: How can Foursquare be a hottest brand when on half million people used it?
#8 - Twitter - Twitter has begun advertising to users using small ads or "Promoted Tweets" that will appear at the top of search results if users conduct a search on the site, says a WSJ report.
#7 - Nike - Bigtime Nike athletes like Tiger Woods and Ben Roethlisberger may be wrapped up in scandal, but the company still "understands, anticipates, and inspires the desires of its broad consumer base," says PSFK's Good Brands Report.
#6 - IKEA - A new IKEA marketing campaign recently furnished 4 Parisian subway with sofas and lamps, says a WSJ report.
#5 - Ace Hotel - Ace Hotel designs its rooms with local flair to offer visitors a more authentic feel, says the PSFK report.
#4 - MIT - MIT's SENSEable City Laboratory recently developed the Copenhagen Wheel, a bicycle wheel that through its connection to an iPhone uses a biker's energy to monitor speed, collect data on air pollution, even show the proximity of a rider's friends, according to a MIT website.
#3 - Jamie Oliver - Oliver, who has quickly become the face of a healthy eating revolution, lead a campaign to improve meals in schools that raised over $1 billion in the UK, according to PSFK's report.
#2 - Apple - Apple's S&P 500 market value just surpassed Microsoft's according to a WSJ report. Apple now has the second largest market cap in the S&P behind Exxon Mobil.
#1 - Google - With new tools like Buzz, Wave, and the operating system Android, Google continues to churn out apps and services that improve access and openness--two online ideals the company lives by. Google's most recent tool exposes government agencies from around the world that have tried to censor content from Google services.
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* Google Most Valuable Global Brands 2009