Southwest Airlines Wins Top 2010 American Brand Excellence Award

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines has been named the 2010 Grand Award winner as part of the seventh annual American Brand Excellence Awards, sponsored by City Business Journals Network and Bizjournals.  Winners in six business categories were also awarded:

Business Services: UPS

Financial/Insurance: GEICO

Retail: The UPS Store

Technology: Apple

Telecommunications: Verizon Wireless

Travel: Southwest Airlines

2010 marks the second year in a row that Southwest Airlines has won the Grand Award and is an example of how a brand personality can have a positive effect on SMB owners.  "Southwest Airlines is a brand that marketers can learn from in a tough economy.  Southwest is viewed as entrepreneurial, innovative, and a good value - all important attributes for brand success," said Godfrey Phillips, VP of research for CBJN.

The winning companies were chosen by over 1,700 business owners and managers of small and mid-sized firms (who participated in CBJN's annual proprietary study) as the brands that best meet the needs of their businesses.  The criteria used to select the American Brand Excellence Award winners include "easy to do business with," "industry leader," "forward thinking," "for growing companies," "behaves ethically," "growing in popularity" and "has a good price for what you get."  Over 250 business brands were rated in the nationwide study.

"What makes the American Brand Excellence Awards unique is that they represent how business owners and managers feel about the companies that support their businesses and help them grow," commented CBJN President George M. Conley.  "This year's winners are true leaders, and CBJN is proud to acknowledge them and help celebrate their success."

About City Business Journals Network

City Business Journals Network is an organization of 64 member publications located in major markets across the country.  CBJN's member publications have a combined circulation of over 730,000 and a readership approaching four million.  Based in Charlotte, NC CBJN has sales offices in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.  It is a subsidiary of American City Business Journals, a unit of Advance Publishing, Inc., whose properties include Conde Nast Publications and the Fairchild and Golf Digest Companies.  CBJN is located at 120 West Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28202; phone 800-433-4565; www.citybiznetwork.com.

SOURCE City Business Journals Network