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Cheeseburger, Fries and a Large Google, Please

Brands become huge when they're used as common words. A Kleenex is a tissue to most -- doesn't matter who cut down the trees to make it. A Coke is a cola, and most of us would gladly accept a Pepsi or even an RC if the real thing wasn't available.

And when we search the Internet, we don't MSN Live Search it -- we Google it, baby!

And that ubiquity is the main reason why Google is the most valuable brand in the world today, two places ahead of Microsoft.

While I often cast doubt on just how broadly Google competes (I see it as a search and ad company), this brand gives it a huge leg up in any new markets it cares to enter. If it made a super-caffeinated cola beverage, I'm sure we'd all be asking for a Google instead of a Coke. Then Coke could strike back with a killer search engine!

Posted by Doug Barney on April 24, 2007


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