I am trying to a find a list of the most recognizable companies in the
united states.  Not a list of the top stocks on the DOW.  Not a list
of the most valuable companies in america.  What I am looking for is
the companies people will most often recognize, which should somehow
be the output of a public survey.  These are the companies that are
most "well known".  The list must have at least the top 20 listed by
name and not be on a subscription only site.  Must be no older than
2004.  The list must be published by a reputable institution such as a
major business periodical or university.  A note of clarification -- I
am NOT looking for something like this list because it is not based on
public opinion, but rather it is based financial data -->
http://www50.sap.com/denmark/sap_brand_no34.pdf

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Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 23 May 2005 17:05 PDT

Donna13,

I can provide you with the results of the 2004 Reader?s Choice Survey
for the top brands that have the most impact on our lives each year.
Impact can be either positive or negative.

For example the first five results are as follows:
1.  Apple  
2   Google  
3   Target  
4   Starbucks  
5   Pixar

The ranking includes over 70 companies.

Would this ranking of companies serve your purpose?

Thanks,
Bobbie7

Donna,

Thanks for your question.

I think you'll find the Harris Interactive survey of the 60 most
visible companies in the US to be exactly what you need:




http://www.harrisinteractive.com/expertise/reputation.asp


This isn't just a list of 'good' companies, as you can see by the fact
that Enron is included, along with such perennial favorites as Coca
Cola and Starbucks...the emphasis here is on company recognizability.



For the US (other countries are listed as well), the top five
companies in 2004 in terms of public visibility are:




1 Johnson & Johnson 
2 3M Company  
3 The Coca-Cola Company  
4 The Procter & Gamble Company  
5 United Parcel Service (UPS)  


The list is based on representative telephone surveys of several
thousand adults across the US.

The actual survey methods are described in detail here:


http://www.harrisinteractive.com/expertise/pubs/Guide_to_the_Annual_RQ_Methodology.pdf


One important thing to note about the list is that company and brand
information have been collapsed together.  That is, if survey
participants mentioned a brand as among the most recognizable
'companies', then it was the company name, rather than the brand name,
that made the list of 'most visible companies'.  Although the survey
methods don't provide an actual example of this, one possibility is
the 3M Company, whose company name, although well-known, is probably
not as familiar to the public as its brand names, Scotch Tape and
Post-It Notes.


I trust this information fully answers your question.  However, please
don't rate this answer until you have everything you need.  If you
would like any additional information, just post a Request for
Clarification to let me know how I can assist you further, and I'm at
your service.

All the best,

pafalafa-ga


search strategy -- Google search on:  [ "10..1000 most * companies OR
corporations OR brands" ]

Perfect.  That was exactly what I was looking for.  Well done!

Donna,

Thank you so much.  I'm glad that turned out to hit the proverbial
nail on the proverbial head.

paf