FOR THE third year running, Apple heads the league table of Fortune’s 50 Most Admired companies followed by Google, Berkshire Hathaway and Johnson & Johnson in second, third and fourth places respectively.

The annual ranking is published by Fortune magazine, in partnership with Hay Group. This year, a total of 667 companies from 33 countries were surveyed to create the 55 industry lists. Hay asked executives, directors and analysts to rate companies in their own industry. To arrive at the top 50 Most Admired Companies overall, Hay surveyed 4,170 executives, directors and securities analysts to select the top 10 companies they most admire.

According to Fortune’s website, Apple’s products are what make it most admired.

“This is the company that changed the way we do everything from buying music to designing products to engage with the world around us,” it said.

Toyota Motors was the highest ranked non-US company on the top 50 list at No 7, slipping from No 3 last year. Fortune explains on its site that Toyota’s ranking was evaluated, “after the troubled carmaker’s recall of floor mats but before the gas-pedal crisis escalated to epic proportions in January”.

Singapore Airlines was the only Southeast Asian brand to rank on the top 50 list at No 27. It also topped the airline industry list followed by US’ Continental Airlines , Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and the Lufthansa Group.

The results will be published in Fortune’s March 22 issue.



This article appeared on the Media & Advertising page, The Edge Financial Daily, Mar 9, 2010.