Sony Still Number One Asian Brand, Hacks and All

It looks like Sony is starting to make the news for good things for a change, though this latest report regarding its popularity might come across as something of a surprise after all the woes that plagued it over the past few months.

The now ended first half of 2011 was defined by several things as far as the IT industry is concerned, and this extends to more than just individual product announcements.

Granted, the coming of new Intel CPUs and AMD APUs (accelerated processing units based on the Fusion architecture) is definitely something to note, as is the emergence of new storage and memory devices, based on advanced chip manufacturing technologies.

Still, besides these and all the systems based on them, some things are to be taken into account, such as the hacking spree that doesn't seem to have ended yet.

Many IT companies and agencies of all kinds, including governments, have been hacked by groups with varying levels of skill and good intent.

Sony was among the IT players hardest hit, having been hacked about a couple dozen times, losing much confidential data for thousands of its users.

One would normally expect this to cause the outfit's allure to plummet, but even with the expected repercussions and need for public apologies, at least one part of the world still sees the company in a good light.

Apparently, a poll with 3,300 people with ages between 15 and 64 found that Sony was still the most valued brand in Asia, out of 1000.

Granted, multiple categories were surveys, like phones, TVs, fashion etc., so Sony got to see votes in more than one of them, unlike more specialized brands. All in all, the fact that Sony has a lot of weight in Asian markets is definitely reflected in the results.

Other companies that made high spots in the list are LG, Canon, Samsung and Panasonic, though non-Asian countries like BMW, Rolex and Chanel also made the list.