To win the critical battle for mindshare in the 21st century, brands must strike the right balance of being trusted, remarkable, unmistakable, and essential. In a new Forrester ranking of 10 consumer technology brands, Microsoft, not Apple, tops consumers’ lists for being the most trusted and essential of the brands surveyed. Apple trails closely behind, followed by Sony, Samsung, HP, Canon, LG, Dell, Toshiba, and Philips.

“The consumer technology business is traditionally product-driven,” notes Principal Analyst Tracy Stokes in the report. “But in today’s competitive marketplace, CMOs in this sector need to pay attention to their brand resonance to secure brand preference, referral, and pricing power.”

Learn more about the ranking here.