​Australians trust technology brands: Ipsos

Four of the top five brands that were named as the most influential brands in Australia were digital and IT brands, according to the Ipsos most influential brands 2015 study.

Holding its top position from last year, Google came in at first place. It was followed by eBay, which jumped three places to second place, outranking Microsoft and Facebook, which came in at third and fourth place, respectively.

Meanwhile, Woolworths came in at fifth place as one of three Australian-owned brands that made it to the top 10. The other Australian-owned brands were Bunnings and Coles, which ranked eighth and 10th, respectively.

The study also revealed that the biggest jump was by technology giant Samsung, which moved seven places, from 14th to seventh position, mainly because those surveyed said the brand impacted the way they interacted with people and made their life more interesting. Despite this, Samsung was beaten by key competitor Apple, which was slightly ahead, in sixth place.

YouTube appeared in the top 10 list for the first time, moving up the rankings from last year's 12th position to ninth. Those surveyed said it is a brand that they want to hear from, it's a brand they trust, and it continues to improve.

The study measured the influence of brands based on five factors: Engagement, trustworthiness, leading edge, corporate citizenship, and presence.

Ipsos marketing managing director Gillian O'Sullivan said that to exert influence, a brand needs to have impact or change the way that people shop, think, act, and behave.

"A brand must be seen to be really important in the world today, and even impact the way people interact with one another, and this year's study shows just how quickly consumer attitudes towards brands can change. There were some significant moves up and down in brand influence rankings, and worst hit were the more established brands," he said.