Bang & Olufsen now 9th in the list of coolest brands, down 5 Places. Discuss......

Who are the top 8 spots?

Ok I found them. Its very irritating when a nearly untangible company (google, in addition to some other sites) beats B&O.

Yep, strange... I cannot see what's cool in Google...

I just can't imagine B&O staying 9th next year with the exciting new products that will be released until then. B&O has suffered mainly from a lack of new excting products this year. BS5 is cool, but surely a little bit "simple" for the panel of this study (Apple n°1, Google on the top, along with Blackberry, Youtube & Playstation... That study surely hasn't been made with old people!!)

http://www.coolbrands.uk.com/

Apple company occup. 3 spots in the list. I guess this is product brand, not company brand list.

The top 20 in the CoolBrands 2009 list are:

1. iPhone

2. Aston Martin

3. Apple

4. iPod

5. Nintendo

6. YouTube

7. BlackBerry

8. Google

9. Bang and Olufsen

10. PlayStation 3

11. Xbox

12. Tate Modern

13. Dom Perignon

14. Virgin Atlantic

15. Ferrari

16. Sony

17. Mini

18. Vivienne Westwood

19. Rolex

20. BBC iPlayer

Considering laltely what lemons B&O have brought out eg Serenata, DVD2 and their general below performance in the digital arena. When  added  to the really awful management performance, IMHO, in the last few years prior to Kalle's arrival this is a great result and shows what a brilliant brand this is..............

A few more products like the BeoVision 10, an improved BeoSound 5 and with functionality to match there is no doubt that B&O can be No1.

A tip for B&O perhaps, integrate as closely as poss to other top cool brands Apple(PUC good, iPod dock?), STB support for iPlayer well thats a thought?

Where is Loewe on this list? Maybe we should ask B&O of Kensington or their sister Chelsea branch............................................................?

I think, it is worse, that B&O can't be found in this list.

Tom:

I think, it is worse, that B&O can't be found in this list.

position 79 Pizza hut.

Went to Pizza hut yesterday with the children(my first time),

Pizza -Awful

Tables-Filthy

Napkins-Run Out

Cutlery Glasses-filthy

Toilets- Lets not go there!

Take your point Tom these lists are basically worthless, unless of course you run a consultancy to make lists!

It certainly indicates that Bang have lost some coolness lately.  With some luck, some products that people actually desire and offer real benefits will take form and people will once again walk over hot coals to buy them.

The delay in entering the digital forum was a huge mistake and i hope the new management are listening to the wants of people to date - read iPod docking station etc  - not just a cord solution to connect to hi-fi.  Give people a reason to buy and no excuses not to.

Went to Pizza hut yesterday with the children(my first time),

Pizza -Awful

Tables-Filthy

Napkins-Run Out

Cutlery Glasses-filthy

Toilets- Lets not go there!

My, you are picky! Drinks OK though?

Dude1:

It certainly indicates that Bang have lost some coolness lately.  With some luck, some products that people actually desire and offer real benefits will take form and people will once again walk over hot coals to buy them.

The delay in entering the digital forum was a huge mistake and i hope the new management are listening to the wants of people to date - read iPod docking station etc  - not just a cord solution to connect to hi-fi.  Give people a reason to buy and no excuses not to. 

I think this is a response that some of us want to hear here but in my opinion, the list presents "popular brands" rather than "Cool Brands".

Perhaps an argument may be made with Aston Martin. In the last 12 months, it's cars can have only have got "Cooler" with improved V8 (4.3l to 4.7l), the V12 Vantage (still drop-dead gorgeous but with a V12), the DBS and Rapide. Yet it has dropped a place. Arguably better products, better image/desirability but still loses a place from the year before. Is the iPhone really "cooler" or just more "popular" (on account most of can have one as opposed to an Aston).

As another point of opinion, there is only 5 of 20 that would make my top 20. So I guess it depends who you ask as to what answer you want.

10%

Well, "we" made it top 5 this year!

http://www.coolbrands.uk.com/

I find the second place for the iPhone strange. I love them (having one for my self) but don't consider them "cool". I work in the construction field, and it's the far most common phone on every meeting nowadays.

As Sturrock writes above, it speaks to the strength of the brand, which is titanium grade. And it's a brand that truly deserves to survive as an independent creator of outstanding A/V.

BTW - I wonder to what extent the international "B&O turntables craze" is contributing to the coolness factor? I've been told by several in different countries that the interest in older B&O turntables has gone through the ceiling over the past year, as new vinyl enthusiast are looking for interesting decks and are hunting among vintage specimens.

Just seen my post from last year……

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/8028268/iPhone-knocked-off-Cool-Brands-index-by-Aston-Martin.html

These surveys are done once a year – probably on a Saturday afternoon a month before publishing date outside a non-league football stadium where the away team supporters are escaping to the buses before full time.

Not the smartest of people answering the survey for sure. Looking at the Apple listings, it is clear that people cannot distinguish between a brand (Apple) and a product (iPhone/iPod). Also looking back at last year’s survey and ask yourself why B&O have gone from 9^th to 5^th? Do you really think it is because people think the BV10 is a huge iPad or a few record decks are on eBay that this has any real bearing?. IMHO, absolutely nothing to do with new products – or old, just a broad combination of long-standing desirability (i.e. iPhone – and to be like most of your associates who have one) and extreme aspiration (i.e. like wanting to own an Aston). B&O is possibly perceived to be somewhere between the two.

Is Aston the coolest brand?

In studies I've seen, people have indicated that they consider their iPhone/iPod an extension of the platform they're using it with. As there are a large number of PC-users with iPhones or iPods, don't be too surprised that they don't identify these as being from Apple - they consider them an extension of the PC they are using.

The study is OK, let's find something to be cheerful about, I personally consider it a miracle that B&O's brand cachet has this kind of staying power, and think there are various factors accounting for it, among which is the store presence, around the world. I believe Jobs was pretty pleased that Apple had just opened its store number 163 during the latest keynote he held ... B&O is way ahead there - for better or worse - and those stores are a constant reminder to people of the brand.

And the chatter is still going about Batman's speakers.

Hey - I thought it was good news.

Mr10Percent:

Is Aston the coolest brand?

It always was ...and apparently still is!

If I may say so, in our country it's actually since a number of years ... Maserati (and no I'm not an Italian)

Well let's put it this way:

Style=ASTON MARTIN

Passion=FERRARI

Engineering=PORSCHE

Style+Passion+Engineering=BUGATTI

...or VOLKSWAGEN!

burantek:

...or VOLKSWAGEN!

Special mention:

TATA and LADA

Tongue in cheek - where are Frigidaire in the list?

stotty1111:

Tongue in cheek - where are Frigidaire in the list?

You say! The GM Frigidaire A6 A/C compressor is still going strong after almost 50 years in my other car!

But is cool media generated or lust based - saddo that I am I still think my Citoen Berlingo is cool even after 7 years servce and where's that in the list - probably at or very near the Lada Tatas at the bottom!

stotty1111:

But is cool media generated or lust based - saddo that I am I still think my Citoen Berlingo is cool even after 7 years servce and where's that in the list - probably at or very near the Lada Tatas at the bottom!

No way. Citroen is way much cooler than any Lada or Tata. The 2CV and 3CV are still very cool cars!