How important is it to build a brand? I’d argue, without a brand, you’ve got nothing. Interbrand’s most recent report shows that Google is the most improved brand over the past year, up 44%. I’m willing to bet that some of the brand juice they have working for them is a direct result of their acquisition of YouTube. Consciously or sub-consciously, YouTube has helped mature and morph Google’s brand into more of an all-purpose media brand.

Google still has a long ways to go before it can rival the leading global brands ie, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM, GE etc. Mind you, those brands have been festering in the marketplace much, much longer than Google.