DALLAS, Jan 8, 2006/ --- ‘What’s in a name?’ asked Juliet in the classic Shakespeare play ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ In 21st century terms, it means a lot of money, to the tune of millions as brands evolve and become recognized.

Ask Oprah, Howard Stern, Britney Spears and Donald Trump. Their names are considered top brands.

But the landscape is changing. According to a survey conducted by Landor Associates and Penn, Schoen & Berland, the ‘2005 Image Power® Newsmaker Survey’ the attitude of Americans towards top brands are shifting to different directions, hence, some well-known brands might find themselves at the ebb, while others will find themselves on top during 2006.

"Brands make a powerful impact on people, especially in today's world of ever-increasing consumer choice," said Allen Adamson, Managing Director of Landor Associates in New York.

"The ‘2005 Image Power® Newsmaker Survey’ highlights the importance that brands play within many aspects of our lives, and reveals some interesting trends, such as the dominance of technology and Internet-based brands,” he added.

Here are the survey’s key findings:

The strong showing of Internet and technology companies illustrates the broad appeal these brands have throughout the country.

Four Internet brands (Google, eBay, Amazon.com and Yahoo!) are among the top 10 winning brands in 2005, while the iPod brand earned the No. 1 overall spot. The release of the shuffle, nano and video iPods in 2005 combined with effective branding efforts helped iPod continue its domination of the MP3 market.

Other technology brands in the top 20 include DVR, Xbox 360 and SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

In recent years, the abundance of reality television programs has offered audiences plenty of choices, but most Americans now prefer tuning in to dramatic programs. Reality shows "Survivor" and "The Apprentice (Donald Trump)" were named among the top 20 losing brands in 2005, while dramas such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" were named among the winning brands.

Britney Spears, Howard Stern and Donald Trump are all deemed "losers" this year, but are all making money with their brand names.

Britney Spears has a top-selling perfume; Howard Stern has a $500 million deal with SIRIUS Satellite Radio and Donald Trump continues to grow his brand empire.

On the other hand, Oprah Winfrey earned tremendous positive appeal and placed third on the 2005 winning brands list. Oprah continues to generate positive buzz through her giveaways, book club, magazine and various successful extensions of her brand.

While SUVs continue to be top-sellers in the U.S., hybrid cars win the battle, as the Ford Escape hybrid makes the winners list and the Hummer ranks No. 6 on the losers list.

With the rise in gas prices and increased sensitivity to the environment, drivers realize the importance of hybrid cars and car manufacturers are responding by offering sleeker, more popular models in hybrid form.

As final connent, Michael Berland, CEO of Penn, Shoen & Berland said, "2005 has been a very interesting year -- we're seeing a new sense of optimism in the winning brands.”

“People see themselves in the brands they choose, and this year technology brands have prevailed, with iPod and Google topping the list, and Xbox coming on strong. People are in a mood to have fun -- Las Vegas is the top city destination, and they're turning away from confrontational reality shows like "Survivor" and "The Apprentice.""