Showing the "What have you done for me lately?" stance of most marketing executives, a Brandchannel survey (via SearchEngineLowdown) shows that Apple ousted Google as the world's top influential brand. The survey results, perhaps most notable generally for the introduction of Al Jazeera into the number five spot, show that the brands' levels of perceived influence have as much to do with the development of the brands' products as they do with the marketing of them. Apple has been introducing wildly popular new versions of its iPod music player, although its chief innovation has been the legal agreements it formed with the major music studios, which had in the past prevented digital music players from reaching their potential. Google continues to dominate its category, but that doesn't make for an "influential" brand, as reflected by the absence from the list of Coke, GM and McDonalds.