Technology has changed the way we live and how we do things. It is now at the centre of our lives because of the convenience it brings. Over the past decade or so we have seen the rise of tech brands taking the lead in terms of brand valuations. Some of these tech brands are more valuable than Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) who used to dominate the brand valuations. According to the Interbrand’s report the top four brands in the world in 2018 were tech brands. Often it does not mean that the brand is the only one in the market or it was the first in market. Some of these brands came in late in the market and surpassed the existing brands in that market due to their platforms being user-friendly, accessible and efficient. We therefore end using these brands’ names to refer to other brands or products in the same category,
The following technology brands have become synonymous with our day-to-day activities and more often than not we could be referring to other brands but we find ourselves to using their name to describe an activity related to the brand or a generic term.
1. Google – online searching
This internet giant was never the first one to launch a search engine. There were few search engines before it was established but today find people saying they will Google things whilst referring to running an online search. In 2006 Google made it to the Oxford English Dictionary as a verb. The dictionary defines of Google as search for information about ( someone or something) on the Internet using the search engine Google.
2. Uber- Ride Sharing
Before Uber there was Zimrides which later started Lyft back in 2007. Today Uber has dominated the ride industry. Most of us cannot imagine the world without Uber It has fundamentally changed how people commute. In South Africa you will often hear people saying “I will Uber home with Taxify” referring to using the Taxify app to get home. Uber is being used as a verb for ride sharing.
4. Photoshop – Photo editing
The first version of Adobe Photoshop was released in 1987. Since then, it has become one of the most popular photo editing programs in the world. It is so popular that many people now use the word “photoshop” to mean photo editing in general.
4. e-Wallet – Mobile Money
Mobile money has undoubtedly transformed how send and receive cash. It has banking more accessible to everyone more the marginalized. M-Pesa was first launched in 2007, in Kenya by Vodafone and Vodacom. In South Africa FNB launched the e-Wallet in 2009 which changed the face of mobile money. Other banks have since followed suit. You will often hear South Africans say “I will e-Wallet you money via Cashsend, it’s like ABSA’s e-Wallet.
5. FitBit- Fitness Trackers
Health and wellness has been getting a lot of attention lately. The majority of people are starting to live active lifestyles e.g they run, walk and cycle. In the process they want to keep track of their time, heart rate, pace etc.
Fitbit, which debuted in 2008 as a clip-on device, was one of the first activity trackers to get mainstream attention. Since then, most people refer any wearable fitness tracker to FitBit even though it wasn’t manufactured by a different brand.
If you know of other tech brands that have dominated the market, please feel free to leave a comment. Remember to share the article if you found it valuable.
