The Telegraph today reports that a "lack of brand investment" by British businesses has resulted in the fact that only eight British companies have made it on to the top 20 list of so-called "superbrands". The list of "superbrands" for 2008/2009 has been compiled by The Centre for Brand Analysis (TCBA) based on the opinions of 2200 members of the British public; the list "measures brand performance" with regard to quality, reliability and distinctiveness. Of all the brands operating in the UK "Google" is seen have the strongest reputation. Software giant Microsoft came second and German carmaker Mercedes Benz was third. The highest scoring British brands are the BBC (No. 4), British Airways (BA) (No. 5) and Royal Doulton (No. 6).

The top ten of Superbrands reads as follows:

1. Google
2. Microsoft
3. Mercedes-Benz
4. BBC
6. British Airways
7. Royal Doulton
8. Bosch
9. Nike
10. Sony

Google came also first in a recent poll of the world's most powerful brands, please see our Class 46 posting here. More information and a further analysis can also be found on the Scotsman's website here.