iGoogle; Doesn't Everyone?

Marianne Richmond — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:59:14 -0500

Tonight, Google announced that it is changing the name of its personalized homepage to iGoogle.

Along with the new name comes new widgets.With the new name and the new widget maker (called Gadget Maker) u and i can pull in YouTube videos, mix our own text and pictures, and count it down with our own countdown timer. And, we can share our gadgets with our friends.

Google says that "creating and sharing Google Gadgets is as easy as filling out a simple form." (Of course, it depends on one's definition of "simple" and "simple form.")

Millward Brown Optimor announced last week that according to their second annual BrandZ survey of the top 100 Brands, Google is the number one most powerful brand. More powerful than Coke, more powerful than Microsoft, more powerful than GE.

Valleywag notes that Business 2.0 asked just the week before, "Why Can't Google Brand?" and added in a compelling graphic that Google achieved this dominance by spending a fraction of what brands such as GE, IBM and Microsoft do.

One of the top critieria for a high ranking in this list is innovation according to Peter Walshe at Milward Brown. This explains the number of technology brands at the top of the list versus consumer package goods brands....when it comes to innovation, Google it seems, not Coke is it.

In terms of being the most powerful personalized homepage, MyYahoo
is much bigger right now. Acording to Techcrunch MyYahoo gets over 50 Million unique visitors monthly while iGoogle gets 7 million monthly visitors.

Yahoo, the Brand, is number 42 on the Brandz list, right behind Deutsche Bank. Duetsche Bank, uber Brand? Well, they lost me at #23, NTT DoCoMo.
And this list measures the most powerful brands in terms of their dollar value...not the most recognized, trusted or respected.

Marianne Richmond also blogs at Resonance Partnership

Technorati Tags: NTT DoCoMo, Deutsche Bank, Google, Yahoo, MyYahoo, iGoogle, Coke, GE, IBM, Millward Brown Optimor, Techcrunch, YouTube, widgets, Valleywag, BrandZ

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iGoogle; Doesn't Everyone?