martinibuster - 8:04 am on Jan 20, 2010 (gmt 0)

It's not just the hot breath of Bing. Google poked Apple with a stick and now Apple is rising up and fighting back. Apple recently purchased a mobile ad network, is in talks with MS to boot Google from the iPhone and is reportedly developing a mobile search engine [webmasterworld.com].

Apple and Google have terrific mindshare, but I think Apple has a deeper relationship with their users. When was the last time you saw a Google logo as a tattoo [flickr.com]? Apple stickers on autos are common. Google stickers are rare. In fact, I have never seen a car with a Google bumper sticker or window sticker on it. People use Google but people don't have an emotional connection with Google.

People not only use Apple products, they love Apple the company. There is an emotional connection to Apple products. Consumers love Apple so much they even tattoo the logo onto their body [flickr.com]. That is mindshare.

Google has reason to be concerned. Apple may have a stronger brand.

[edited by: martinibuster at 8:30 am (utc) on Jan. 20, 2010]