Between the release of Windows XP SP2, at the end of 2004, and that of Windows Vista SP1 on March 18, 2008, Apple has brought a world of pain on Microsoft. At least this is the perspective coming from CoreBrand. The Redmond company ranked at number 59 in the annual CoreBrand Brand Power 100. The Microsoft brand has been dropping in the top Corporate Branding Index over the past four years from a position that at one time got it extremely close to the first 10 brands.

CoreBrand measures the brand power of no less than 1,200 corporate brands around the world, and puts together its top in accordance with no less than 12,000 telephone interviews with business leaders worldwide. Microsoft occupied the 11th position back in 2004. In just two years the company has fallen to 38, and the downspiral of the Microsoft brand continued in 2007. CoreBrand estimated that a large impact to Microsoft losing corporate brand value was delivered by Apple's marketing approach.

"The effect of Apple's 'Hi, I'm a MAC' advertising campaign may have taken its toll on Microsoft. The launch of a series of new products, following a long, relatively dormant period, will be closely watched to see if it will have a positive impact on the Microsoft brand," said James Gregory, CEO, CoreBrand.

But at the same time, even though Microsoft is down all the way to the middle of the Brand Power 100 top, the Redmond company is still ahead of rivals from Cupertino, Mountain View and Sunnyvale. Neither Apple, nor Google and not even Yahoo managed to break into the top 100 of corporate brands, which has Coca Cola in the first position.

"The value of the intangible asset known as the 'corporate brand' is the lifeblood of the contemporary corporation as it measures consumer confidence, investment and revenue potential," Gregory added. And here is an example of a Get a Mac ad comparing not only Mac computers and PCs but also Windows Vista and Mac OS X Leopard.