Photo by og2t // dwa zero zero

Consider this quote from a brandjunkie respondent regarding the brand he would most like to argue with: Exxon.

"Are you kidding me???? In an era of $3 gas at the pumps and they have the highest corporate profits on record for any company EVER????"

Oh, the good ole days of paying $3 for a gallon of gas. Remember those times? The US was at war in Iraq. Horton Hears a Hoo reached #1 at the box office. My neighbor lost her cat for two days. Ah… last March. A time of squandered innocence.

Photo by dearbarbie

Some brands soar on clouds of praise while others are grounded by accusations of poor customer service and general incompetence. One thing we did learn for sure, however, was that people care about their airline brands and have strong opinions about them.

Here is what some of you had to say:

Aerolinas Argentinas

"It is the 'flag' airline company here and has a terrible brand and a terrible brand image..."
- female in Argentina, 31-35

British Airways

"They could be so much more than what they are... I travel with them a lot mainly for business and they could capitalise on things more..."
- female from United Kingdom, 31-35

"It reminds me of a bad grandparent dated and old fashioned."
- female from United Kingdom, 41-45

Photo by decadentyou

Here is what we found:

Chiko Roll…
"Ah the taste of suburbia summer."
- male in Australia, 36-40.

Kate Spade…
"I'm not a designer snob in any sense, but having my Kate Spade purse and sunglasses by my side makes me feel more metropolitan, particularly when I'm out on the weekends downtown (I live in Seattle). The brand works for me—simple, colorful, unique!"
- female in the USA, 26-30.

Monaco Bars…
"Heaven in Summer."
- male in Australia, 26-30.

Photo by greenpeace.italia

However, much to the surprise of our staff, one answer didn't fare as well as we had expected. This brand was green before being green was cool. This brand was controversial before the global warming debate caught fire. This brand was defending the environment when most CEOs thought sustainable development was a phase of suburban adolescence.

We're talking, of course, about Greenpeace.

So, who is Hany Mwafy?

Here he is, in his own words:

I am fortunate to get paid for what I love doing. I am a corporate entrepreneur and started my career journey 15 years ago as a salesman selling machines and equipment. Since then I have worked my up to handling global projects. I have a diverse range of experiences on local, regional, and global levels that span different industries from energy, lubricants, and food, to personal care, cosmetics, consumer paper products, and industrial products. Now I am in the marketing information business with Nielsen leading over 220 people in Egypt.

My personal responsibilities have included the management of globally and regionally recognized businesses with BP, Americana, Unilever, and Nivea.

I like to transfer my passion to other people. I enjoy looking at business differently; I usually complement analytical business models with a great sense of simplicity. I like to approach business with a creative and imaginative sense that translates into tangible performance results.

What I enjoy most is balancing science with art to create a different picture.

Photo by EuPaparazzi

"If you were to describe yourself as being a brand, what brand would you be? Why?"

As expected, most brandjunkies answered with popular brands such as Chanel, Nike, and Coca-Cola. Many, however, decided to take a stand—for themselves.