Last week we asked Reputation Online readers which brand they’d most like to be associated with. We knew that the result would obviously be affected by each brand’s own reputation, but also says a lot about each company’s identity and the portrayal of its values.

We used Millward Brown’s most valuable top ten brands as a starting point, which most people stuck to. Interestingly, the most ‘valuable’ companies in monetary terms didn’t always equate to values that individuals would would to personally be associated with.

It comes as no surprise that an audience of largely tech-savvy readers chose Apple as the top spot (with a whopping 52% of the almost 500 votes), but is this a reflection of people’s working life – or simply a good measure of the way Apple presents itself? Does working life affect this choice?

Ciaran Norris from Mindshare reflected this sentiment in his comment, as he asked the office for input on his decision;  “A colleague in the office, when I asked this question, named a magazine. And I have to agree – I think I’m better represented by a publisher than a brand, in which case it would be The Guardian or Wired UK.”

Similarly, Google, also had a good result, coming in second with 22% of the vote. Its smart design and global thinking portrays a company many aspire to. Perhaps the ‘big brother aspect’ has prevented it from taking top spot, but it’s the only brand that scores highly on both identity and monetary value. It seems that the element of fun makes a big difference here.

Surprisingly, the bronze medal goes to Coca-Cola at 11%, which is no stranger to bad press. Coke and controversy seem to go hand in hand, with rows over pesticides being included in its drinks, as well as landshare issues in India and contimination problems. However, many of the issues only exist in the US and Asia, so hasn’t been mirrored in our poll. The company’s efficient brand management system has successfully established a truly global brand and that consistency is something people look upon as favourable.

The rest of the results are divided between small percentages across the other brands, with GE and Microsoft ranking lowest. It seems that global domination doesn’t always portray the best personality after all, and judging by the latter’s lowly 2% score, technically aware people don’t always relate to tech companies.

What does this mean for brands? Less is more. While most companies try to beat their competitors by cramming in extra features, Apple competes by removing them. This is not only a fantastic business strategy, but also a brand one. A consistent message, especially within the online space, is key to building a strong brand – otherwise company messages become dilluted as they are re-published across hundreds of blogs and sites. At the same time, over-use of any online channel can result in a sense of being overwhelmed. Keep it simple and people will respond far better to your brand identity.