Sony branded number one...again

While Sony might fight with Nintendo and Microsoft for brand recognition and approval when it comes to the world of gaming, the electronics giant's brand name has a significant leg up on the competition when it comes to the general American public.

Market research firm Harris Interactive has released the results of its annual "Best Brands" survey, and Sony has topped the list for the seventh consecutive year and the ninth time in 12 years. Microsoft slipped from the top 10 in this year's poll, while Nintendo was shut out of the upper echelon.

Harris surveyed 2,351 US adults online and asked them "to think about brands or names of products and services" and to name the three they considered the best. Respondents were free to pick whichever brands they preferred and were not given a list of options or possible answers.

The top 10 companies in this year's poll are listed below.

1. Sony
2. Dell
3. Coca-Cola
4. Toyota
5. Ford
6. Honda
7. Hewlett Packard
8. General Electric
9. Kraft
10. Apple