In brief: If you listen to the hate Apple gets from so many people, it's easy to imagine that Cupertino is the most hated technology company in the world. According to a new report, however, that unwanted title falls to rival Microsoft, which is despised more than any other big tech brand in 22 countries.
RAVE Reviews, using the research tool SentiStrength, assessed over a million brand-related tweets for positive or negative content. Any brands that had fewer than ten disparaging tweets aren't included.
The results are split into categories. In the area of big tech (top), Microsoft is by far the number one disliked company across the world, hated by 22 countries, including the US. For comparison, Facebook and Google have 24 countries between them. Maybe Windows is to blame?
It's worth noting that Facebook has the highest hate rate for big tech in a specific country---85% in Hong Kong---while Ireland and Pakistan aren't big Apple fans, with 73% and 64% hate rates, respectively. It also seems that Zimbabwe really dislikes Pepsi, for some reason.
As for the most hated US brand, that dishonor falls to Uber. RAVE Reviews doesn't class it as a tech firm, which is ironic as the company has long argued that it is---a way to avoid transportation service rules and regulations.
The next most hated brand in the US is Lego, as anyone who's stood on a piece while barefoot can understand. It's followed by Sony, which, like Uber, isn't classed as a tech firm. The Japanese giant is also the most hated brand in Canada.
Looking at gaming brands, it should come as no surprise to see Ubisoft dominate this area, being the most hated industry name in 23 countries. But the US, Australia, and Canada reserve their vitriol for Game Freak---developer of the Pokémon RPG series.
Are you a fan of Dominoes? Then you might be in the minority. It's the most hated fast-food brand in the US and the UK, though KFC is most countries' least favorite brand within this category.
