Apple Wins 'Brand of the Year' Awards in Smartphone, Tablet, and Computer Categories

[newagemac]

Great for Apple, but I don't think polling "38,500+ Americans" is enough to award Apple "Brand of the Year", whether or not they deserve it. There are over 300 million people here in the US. Factors also include the age groups, the type of work they do, regions perhaps, etc. can they ask everyone? No, that's impossible. But for "awards" like this, there must be more participation.

Somebody doesn't understand statistics and sampling.

 

[AaronEdwards]

38,500 is statistically enough to give percentages within 0.5%. So if your numbers are "36.2% voted for A, 34.7% voted for B", then you can be pretty sure that more people vote for A than B. If the numbers are 36.2% vs. 36.1%, then you can't be sure who is really ahead. But then maybe it doesn't really matter. (Gardner reporting world wide PC sales did once report the top six, because #6 was so close to #5 in their estimates that they couldn't exclude the possibility that #6 in the estimates actually sold more than #5).

Someone quoted adverts saying "87% of 280 women agreed..." With these numbers you probably can't be sure that the true number isn't 86% or 88%, but it will be pretty close.

38,500 is more than enough, as long as you actually pick a sample that's representative of the population.

Consider this, you're polling the next US election, but you only pick your sample from the South, or the North East, or you fail to contact those who don't own a land line phone. You would end up with a really lousy sample that wouldn't say anything about the whole population.

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Obviously Apple paid off Harris, no?

Don't you generally question surveys? The method behind them?

 

[PCMacUser]

Honestly, I think the customer service side of things tells most of the story. The companies they are up against do not even come close when it comes to service and support.

I can only assume that Apple support in the US is better than in other countries, because it's decidedly average where I live. I'd put it on a par with HP, although HP doesn't pre-charge your credit card for warranty replacements...

 

[jonnysods]

That's a really small sampling of the general public.

Of course I agree with the results!! Can't wait for the rMBP update. Very excited to replace my 2011 MBP.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Samsung spends a lot more on marketing than Apple does.

Yes, spends. But I think it's fair to say Apple is more successful in permeating American pop culture and hearts and minds. So if what I previous wrote regarding "bigger presence" was taken to mean by $ spent then my bad for not being clearer.

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We Apple product users declare Apple brand of the year

You write this in snark, I understand, but there is truth to it. Apple users in general love their products, and there are a lot of iOS users in the U.S. That does say a lot about Apple because people own hundreds of products and they don't love most of them, they are either ambivalent towards or tolerate them, esp. when it comes to confusing electronics.

And the fact Apple came to mind first in the poll also says a lot about why other companies are always chasing Apple to capture it's products look and feel and ease of use.

 

[krravi]

And everyone ignored the verdict by the other Marketing Firm saying "Apple was not inspiring anymore"?

So lets call it even shall we?

 

[3282868]

Except their displays. Buyer beware of the dreaded "LED" Cinema/Thunderbolt display. Three years with 2 24" LED LCD's had power supplies and LCD panels replaced ~2-3 times each, replaced in May with 2 27" models for free, having one display crap out last week. Stuck home now for 8 weeks in a cast from a dislocated and broken right ankle, I'm waiting for an on-sight tech guy to replace the power supply.

Since Apple switched to LED panels from (stunning) 20/23/30" CCFL's, quality has been "shiite."

Although, I must give Apple a lot of credit, they replaced 2 24" displays with 2 brand new 27" models, refunded my AppleCare AND gave me free AppleCare for the new models. Never asked, so that blew me away.

 

[mrhick01]

That's a really small sampling of the general public.

Of course I agree with the results!! Can't wait for the rMBP update. Very excited to replace my 2011 MBP.

When it comes to statistical samples, no it is not. As a matter of fact, 1500 (if it is a carefully selected national sample) is "enough," because you can be accurate 95% of the time within about 4 percentage points.

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38,500 is more than enough, as long as you actually pick a sample that's representative of the population.

Consider this, you're polling the next US election, but you only pick your sample from the South, or the North East, or you fail to contact those who don't own a land line phone. You would end up with a really lousy sample that wouldn't say anything about the whole population.

----



Don't you generally question surveys? The method behind them?

If you know statistics and care about those details, follow the trail of the article and examine the methodology. Good science is supposed to be repeatable and verifiable.

 

[kmj2318]

For brand of the year award, I'd thought they would have surveyed more than 38k people... at least 500k to have significant sample data.

38k is probably more than enough.

 

[patent10021]

Unfortunately no one will ever know about this and maybe not even care accept for people on forums like this.

 

[iSteve-O]

I was impressed until I saw it was only a survey of 38K people.

 

[pirg]

I was impressed until I saw it was only a survey of 38K people.

Based on your obviously advanced understanding of statistics, please explain why that's not enough people?

 

[dkersten]

Your ignorance is showing. Time to study up on your statistics.

Start here: http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm to calculate how many people to poll for a high accuracy rate. For example, a 99% +/-1% accuracy for a survey of three hundred million people requires a little over 16,000 participants. For something as vague as "brand of the year", not needing high accuracy, 95% +/-5% needs just 384 participants.

Of course the sampling must be judicious & fair, not exclusively polling people walking out of Apple stores with large boxes (which, of course, is not polling but instead is pre-filtering for particular results). But of course comments like "i bet that all those surveyed where walking out of apple shops" is not looking for truth, but just a malicious put-down.

Poll results aside, that is really interesting. I did the vague math and 38,500 / 300,000,000 = 0.00012833333% of Americans. I never would have thought you could get a pretty accurate result from such a small percentage of a population.

 

[jonnysods]

When it comes to statistical samples, no it is not. As a matter of fact, 1500 (if it is a carefully selected national sample) is "enough," because you can be accurate 95% of the time within about 4 percentage points.

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If you know statistics and care about those details, follow the trail of the article and examine the methodology. Good science is supposed to be repeatable and verifiable.

Homer Simpson: Aw, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forfty percent of all people know that.

 

[appleisking]

I was impressed until I saw it was only a survey of 38K people.

That's a really small sampling of the general public.

Of course I agree with the results!! Can't wait for the rMBP update. Very excited to replace my 2011 MBP.

I'd take this poll with a grain of salt. I am a verizon post-paid customer, but Verizon prepaid service is overpriced and has very few phones available.

Pre-Paid Mobile Carrier brands ranked above category average:
1
Verizon Wireless (no contract wireless phone) - Pre-Paid Mobile Carrier Brand of the Year
2
AT&T GoPhone (no contract wireless phone)
3
TracFone Wireless (no contract wireless phone)

Take a stats course one day.

 

[3282868]

Based on your obviously advanced understanding of statistics, please explain why that's not enough people?

The larger the "N" (surveyed), the more accurate the results. However, statisticians know that survey's are the least accurate in surmising data, causality or true results as they are based on "opinion". There should be an accurate cross section of [relevant to xxxx survey - or not] people surveyed, too often many demographics are not included which may skew "conclusions".

 

[AppleScruff1]

Coming from someone who owns a galaxy s3, of course you'll defend samsung.

Just like Apple owners defend Apple.

 

[pirg]

The larger the "N" (surveyed), the more accurate the results. However, statisticians know that survey's are the least accurate in surmising data, causality or true results as they are based on "opinion". There should be an accurate cross section of [relevant to xxxx survey - or not] people surveyed, too often many demographics are not included which may skew "conclusions".

What does that have to do with him relating the surveys inaccuracy to sample size?

 

[3282868]

What does that have to do with him relating the surveys inaccuracy to sample size?

Really? I mean, really? My head hurts from the tangled web some weave.

 

[pirg]

Really? I mean, really? My head hurts from the tangled web some weave.

It was a simple question, not sure why it hurt you.

 

[ctdonath]

Awright, skeptics. Step away from the computer and read this before you return to this thread:

 

[i4m]

For this product of the year award, we'll poll people waiting in lines at the... Apple store!

 

[pirg]

For this product of the year award, we'll poll people waiting in lines at the... Apple store!

Lol yeah it's like how Samsung executives are the ones that bought all the phones they claimed they sold!

 

[hockeyfanatic]

That'll put a stinger in samsungs side!!

I'm liking my LG screen, after the macrumors config update, of course.

I did get the samsung ssd, which I was happy about.

mac air '13 i5/8/256.

 

[dragje]

Didn't you know American consumers are biased? Deep down they really hate Apple but would never admit it to a pollster because it would make them look unpatriotic.

It's really funny to see how some Apple fanboys jump up and start gasping for personal attacks when there is some doubt about any poll that favors Apple in any way. Psychologist call it dogmatic behaviour where Apple = good and the rest = bad. It's as simplistic as a regular Star Wars plot, you have the good and the bad side. Nuances are just proof of (of course) your lack of knowlegde. It's not an Apple thing of course, you see this lack of nuance among other brand fanboys as well. Last week I was sitting in a cafe listening to a silly rant about how good Samsung is and how bad Apple have become....

So what we have here? Apple got an award, good for them. More interesting for me would be the downfall of popularity of Apple products throughout the world. Personally I think Apple is also more interested in these numbers instead of awards even though it's nice to get. This explains why Apple will launch cheaper products and, as rumors go, even consider to enlarge it's screen sizes on the mobile smartphones, all due popular demand.

Ah well, Apple will get more prizes like all companies will get more prizes and in the good tradition of good PR all branches will shout that these awards good be seen as some kind of proof of success even when numbers do show some other story. .