Market Knowledge

on the world's consumers, while Microsoft and the US nation brand are those considered most in need of a remake, a survey shows today.

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The poll by online magazine brandchannel.com asked its readers to identify the brands with the greatest impact on their lives, and say how they affected readers' behaviour and their view of the world.

The near 2,000 professionals and students who voted named Apple overwhelming the winner. The creator of the iPod and Mac computer triumphed in six categories including most inspiring brand and the one readers cannot live without.

Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, was also a winner, but it received the dubious honour of the brand most readers wanted to argue with, and the one they most wanted to revamp. Voted into second place in the category was brand USA.

brandchannel editor Jim Thompson said: "Apple has clearly captured the hearts and minds by leading across most categories. Others, such as the USA nation brand, which ranks highly as most in need of a rebrand, requires help according to our readers."

The poll does not take account of economic brand value, the murky science of assigning a financial value to brand,