- Importance and influence of each company in there area of expertise
- Impact of each company on world events and society in 2011
- Possible impact of each company in the near future
- Impact of the culture of each company as bell weather look into the future

The list is in alphabetical order.

Apple

Innovative worldwide in personal computing and electronic personal device manufacturer and marketer.

Exxon/Mobil

American energy giant working on massive research projects investigating alternative clean fuels, both carbon and non-carbon based.

Facebook

Social networking that could has a having a giant impact on the world wide society.
In mid 2011, Facebook was averaging 1 trillion visits per month. Facebook is virally popular in countries all over the world. In Indonesia, it is by far the most popular website on the Internet. Facebook earns it’s place on the list because of the impact it currently has, it’s private value, and the possibilities it holds for positive impact on the worldwide society in the future.

General Electric

Manufacturing, research and innovative giant that is still vitally important in the fields it participates in all over the world. Vital to many industries including power units for commercial and military aircraft.

Google

The world’s information giant. Some day Google will be the digital library of the world. The company is an advertising and software giant with a stunning global reach. There are many millions of users of Google products. Google has freely assisted, supported and mentored vast numbers of companies in every part of the world.

IBM

The old man of information technology that is still vitally important in mainframe and supercomputer technology. IBM Software powers much of the American electrical power grid.

Microsoft

Software giant the world grew up with on computing at home. Microsoft is the leader in personal computer software and a growing power in gaming software and hardware.

Nestle

European Food Giant – The leader in research on new food products for home and hospitality industry

Petro China

Petro China is the Exxon of China. As the fortunes of this company go, so may go the future of China. Petro China fuels Chinese society and the massive Chinese military.

Procter & Gamble

American personal and home product giant that makes an impact on the lives of individuals and families all over the world. You use their products every day.

Any list is subjective. Few can deny eligibility of those listed at this time.

However, as important as the elegance and beauty of the country they are about to go to, the travel agency that is behind booking and arranging hotel accommodations for their convenience is a crucial part of one’s travel. A good travel agency may mean a huge difference between enjoying one’s vacation trip overseas and being stressed out from flight delays, sold out flight tickets, unavailability of hotel rooms and so on.

With this pointed out, the best travel agency is more than essential to be able to make the most out of the experience. After all, travelling may be considered as a luxury that not all can experience or do again thus one should grab this opportune moment and make the most of it.

Considered as one of the top 10 travel agencies worldwide, Creative Travel International has been serving the community of New York and its frequent travels. The agency divides their services into Leisure and Corporate bookings to be able to accommodate the specific needs of clients and travelers. They also provide a wide range of travel destinations and are equipped with manpower and vessels, including tour operators, cruise lines and spa bookings.

Another travel agency that has been nominated in the big leagues is China International Travel Service Head Office. Established in 1954, China International Travel Service Head Office is the country’s biggest and most dynamic business group, travel agency, and the only tourism business that is included in the Top 500 Chinese Enterprises as termed by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Going to the Western region, a contender for the top 10 travel agencies in the world is Portman. The travel agency is located at UK and has been serving the community for a remarkable 50 years now. The travel agency is considered as one of the largest and most experienced independent travel management firms in the world. The agency also provides their clients with free travel alerts on their site to notify them about any flight delays or flights that have been cancelled.

Looking for travel agencies that specialize within Asia?

Patterson Travel is one of the best travel agencies to book trips within various countries around Asia, from Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo. The agency also covers trips to London, Canada and the US. They also offer great flight specials and promos that travelers have come to appreciate.

Vodacom is the leading telecommunications company in the world. The company is present in six continents either as the company itself or by partnering with local telecommunications companies. Apart from offering personal and business telecommunication solutions, the company also offers branded phones and devices. The company made revenues of 44.5 billion pounds in 2010.

AT&T

With consolidated business revenue of $124 billion, AT&T is one of the top telecommunications companies in the world. Like Vodacom, AT&T has a footprint in seven continents. The company has offers voice services in over 220 countries and manages the largest Wi-Fi network in the United States. Apart from telecommunications, the company also deals with broadband and mobile phones alongside other telecommunications based services.

Verizon communications

Verizon communications also comes among the top 10 telecommunications companies. It provides telecommunications services to customers in the United States and 150 other countries. The services offered include voice and data, IP network sales and telecommunication devices among others.

China mobile

China mobile was incorporated in 1997 and is one of the youngest companies ranking in the top 10 telecommunications companies in the world. By the end of 2010 the company enjoyed a healthy 69.3% customer base in mainland China. The company offers both GSM and GPRS services worldwide through its subsidiaries. It has a global presence of over 186 countries.

France telecom

France telecom is another leading telecommunications company with a presence all over the world. The company is synonymous with its orange brand name. The company offers mobile, internet, fixed telephony, TV and IP services to clients all over the world. In 2010, France Telecom had revenues of approximately 45.5 billion Euros.

Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom also ranks among the top 10 telecommunications companies in the world. The company provides telecommunications services in about 50 countries all over the world through its subsidiaries. The most popular of its subsidiary telecommunications provider is T-Mobile. Deutsche Telekom had revenues of about 62.4 billion Euros in 2010. Some of the services provided by the company include mobile phones, ICT solutions and fixed networks services.

Telefonica

Telefonica is another telecommunications company which ranks in the top 10 worldwide. The company\’s brands – Movistar, Vivo, Terra and O2 are found in different countries in Europe, Asia and central and South America. The company offers global telecommunication services for individuals and businesses.

Telia Sonera

Telia Sonera is a Swiss based telecommunications company. The company provides its services in Baltic and Nordic countries as well as Eurasia through its subsidiaries. The company boasts to be one of the pioneers of mobile communications and this can be justified by their excellent services which include broadband and fixed telephony.

China Unicom

China Unicom is one of the leading telecommunications companies in China. The company was incorporated in 2000 and mainly serves China. The services provided are mainly GSM and WCDMA services.

Telenor group

Telenor group is the final telecommunications company in the top 10 list. The company provides telephone, TV, internet and mobile services to consumers in the Nordic and Asia regions.

In today’s fast-moving world, the way to get customers’ attention is through email marketing.

A number of companies specialize in email marketing solutions that can help you get your products and services in front of the eyes of the audience who will respond to them best. Here’s a look at some of the top email marketing companies.

• iContact: iContact features a very easy-to-use interface as well as over 300 third-party template add-ons, including WordPress, iPhone and Android. iContact also has a free trial period. On the downside, should you run into problems implementing these features, customer support is limited.
• Benchmark Email: Benchmark email offers simple integration with Google Analytics so you can actually see how well you’re targeting your audience, as well as top line tracking features and a free trial. It also offers a convenient drop-and-drag email editor. On the downside, customer phone support is only available on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Constant Contact: Constant Contact offers 500 fully customizable newsletter templates, a contact manager that allows you to import contacts from all email providers as well as social media sites, and a sophisticated auto-responder. Unfortunately, Constant Contact has no spam checker and it doesn’t integrate well with Google Analytics.
• Pinpointe: Pinpointe is a cloud-based email marketing service, which means you can access it from any wi-fi-enabled device. It offers list segmentation and a sophisticated automailer among many other features.
• MailChimp: MailChimp is particularly useful for marketers dealing with a large volume of subscribers because it can handle email delivery to over a billion users at a time. It also has internal analytics that allow savvy marketers to monitor the return on their investment.
• Mailgen: Though Mailgen supports SMS texting, it does not directly support other third party apps, which limits its utility for marketers looking to break out of straight email campaigns.
• Vertical Response: Vertical Response allows marketers to integrate email campaigns with efforts on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Its sophisticated suite of analytical tools lets marketers create reports comparing the success rates of outreach through these venues.
• Mad Mimi: Mad Mimi has a limited number of design features which makes it an ideal choice for first time users who might be confused by too many add-ons, but limits its effectiveness for experienced email marketers.
• Campaigner: Campaigner offers the best customer support bar none, as well as a large number of fully customizable templates for your messages. However, Campaigner doesn’t allow you to remove the “Campaigner” logo from the emails you send using their service.
• GraphicMail: GraphicMail offers 20 MB of image storage space, twice as much as the industry standard as well as over 100 templates to drag and drop those images into. Unless you pony up an additional $250 fee, however, GraphicMail’s logo will remain on all the communications you send using this service.

Learn more about email marketing & services at one of the european leader for email marketing – ecircle.

Chanel

Created In Chanel has become successful by offering a wide range of high end clothing for women and sought after perfume such as “Chanel No. 5”. Its founder is Gabrielle Chanel, also known as Coco Chanel.

Prada

This fashion label was created In 1913 and is currently based in Milan, Italy. It has worldwide sales estimated at €2 billion with 3,000 employees. It was started by Mario Prada and has many customers that look to purchase its handbags, shoes and perfumes. There is even a Prada LG mobile phone.

Calvin Klein

Created by the designer with the same name, the fashion house of Calvin Klein began in 1978. It is based in New York. It is known for clothing, jewelry and fragrances and is under the parent company of Philips van Heusen.

Dolce and Gabanna

Dolce and Gabanna was started in 1985 and is Known for its men and women’s clothing, sunglasses, handbages and shoes. The main office is based in Milan, Italy. The head designers and founders of the company are Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. It has worldwide sales of €597 million.

Versace

Versace is quite synonymous with luxury and style. It was created in 1978 by Gianni Versace. Its creative director is the famous Donatella Versace. This fashion house is known for its makeup, women’s clothing, perfume and eyeglasses.

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is quite well known as a fashion label. It is often associated with travel trunks, luxury leather handbags and travel luggage. It was created in 1854 and is one of the oldest of the top 10 fashion houses. It was started by Louis Vuitton and has its main office in Paris. It now has a total sales revenue of €2 billion.

Victoria’s Secret

Victoria’s Secret has its headquarters in Ohio and it was originally created by Roy Raymond until he sold it for millions. It is under parent company Limited Brands, and has worldwide sales of $5 billion. It is synonymous with women’s lingerie, swimwear and beauty products.

The House of Gucci

The creative director of Gucci is Frida Giannini and it was established in 1921 by Guccio Gucci. This fashion label is known for its shoes, handbags, luggage and jewelry. With worldwide sales of €4 Billion, it is located in Italy.

Armani

As one of the top fashion labels, Armani is known for its lines of men and women clothing. Armani also produces watches, shoes, home decor and eyewear. It was established in 1975 by Giorgio Armani.

Polo Ralph Lauren

Polo Ralph Lauren was created In 1967 and is based in New York City. It was started by newly arrived immigrant Ralph Lauren. It is known for its casual and formal wear for men and women. It also has a range of perfumes, colognes and bedding. The head designer is Ralph Lauren and it has worldwide sales of approximately $5 Billion.

• Department stores

• Discount stores

• Supermarket

• Warehouse stores

• Variety stores

• Specialty stores

• General store

• Convenience store

• Hypermarket

• Malls

• Category specialist

• E-tailers

E-tailer is more commonly known as “online retailer”. Online retailers are an important part of the business industry. Research has shown that 57% of consumers research products online before making a purchase and there is a 50% increase in online shopping.

Online retailers have many advantages over brick and mortar retail stores. Some of them are listed below:

• Reviews about products

Reviews of various products are included, even those of consumers. All information about the product like make, year, model, specifications are provided.

• A physical retail store is not necessary

Since it involves doing business online, it is not necessary to setup a retail store or stores. A warehouse to store the goods will be sufficient.

• Less workforce

Since online retail store involves doing business online from a website, an online retailer needs lesser staff compared to a physical retail store.

• Costs less

Online retailers only have to bear the cost of running and maintain the website and the warehouse along with a few staffs. This saves them money from extra expenses than are oftentimes passed on to consumers, which explains why physical retail store prices are costlier than online retail stores.

However, on the negative side, consumers are at a risk of fraud. Also, they cannot fully check the product and have to rely on the information and picture provided solely online.

There are thousands of online retail stores in the U.S. alone. We’ll be looking into the top 10 online retailers worldwide along with its headquarters and its total share of the online retail industry as of 2010.

1. Amazon.com

Headquarters: Seattle, United States

Share: 24.3%

2. Walmart.com

Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas, United States

Share: 14%

3. eBay.com

Headquarters: San Jose, California, United States

Share: 11.2%

4. BestBuy.com

Headquarters: Richfield, Minnesota, United States

Share: 5.8%

5. JCPenny.com

Headquarters: Plano, Texas, United States

Share: 4.5%

6. Target.com

Headquarters: Minneapolis, United States

Share: 4.1%

7. Kohls.com

Headquarters: Menomonee falls, Wisconsin, United States

Share: 3.6%

8. Google.com

Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States

Share: 2.8%

9. Overstock.com

Headquarters: Salt Lake City, United States

Share: 2.7%

10. Sears.com

Headquarters: Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States

Share: 2.5%

Some of the other popular online retailers that didn’t quite make the top 10 are Macys.com, Yahoo.com, Kmart.com, and HomeDepot.com to name a few.

Did you know?

• Most online retailers originate or are based in the United States.
• United States has the most consumers of online retailers.
• Top online retailers of June 2011, was Amazon with 20% of all online retail visits (over 280 million visits).
• eBay is considered the world’s largest online marketplace.
• eBay launched Group Gifts in November 2011 which lets eBay members connect with their Facebook friends so that they can purchase gifts together.
• 50% of online retailer visits worldwide were to Amazon, eBay and Alibaba as of June 2011.
• Walmart is the largest provider of movies overtaking Sony and Alibaba.

Aerospace. The Thales Group is a powerhouse in defense and security. It operates in 50 countries and has 68,000 employees. Much of their success is based on their group of 22,500 researchers. This has led to such projects as the exploration of Mars, producing the first true multi-band, multimode Land Mobile Radio and erecting a crystal building near Lisbon, Portugal.

The Thales business philosophy is unique in that it establishes deep- rooted relationships with their clients based on the cultural traditions of that particular country. With most of their work in defense and security, it is important to maintain delicate and often secret information.

Airlines. You’ve probably seen the seahorse logo on the nose of Air France planes. Headquartered at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport, it touts the largest in world revenues. Worldwide market share is about 25%. It is best known for the supersonic Concorde that flew until 2003.

Airline customers are always looking for good food and comfort. Where flyers cling to the usual bag of peanuts, business class customers were offered snacks and drinks, even champagne. They also had ice cream, toys and chocolates.

Personal Products. France originated perfume and since has led the world in the search for natural beauty. L’oreal is world renown in the area of personal care products. The L’oreal philosophy is to enhance a person’s natural beauty and unique personality. Their flagship product is L’Oreal Paris for skin and beauty care. Two well- known brands are Maybeline and Ralph Lauren. If you are looking for a special experience, try Vichy.

Banking. If you want to play in the big leagues, go to BNP Paribas, a banking powerhouse, not only in Europe but globally. Rated AAA by Standard and Poor’s, it operates in 80 countries and has almost 200,000 employees. Its philosophy focuses on responsiveness, creativity, commitment and ambition. Its trading operations are awesome covering equities, bonds, commodities and all manner of derivatives.

Telecom. In France the color is orange, orange for France Telecom. The third largest in Europe, it offers the standard broadband and mobile to 221 million customers. You can download an orange app on your smartphone. In Europe, tablets are in demand over TV and PCs. a wake up call for all telecoms.

Networks. Alcatel-Lucent is a world leader in networking, operating in 130 countries. Partner Lucent was part of Bell Labs and brings strong research leadership to the company. It holds 27,900 patents. They are chasing the future in worldwide wireless communication, cloud computing and the Internet of things. It is estimated that 15 billion devices will be connected by 2015.

Vehicle Parts. You know the Michelin Man. He’s the man you can trust. This is the Michelin motto. Michelin makes tires for all manner of vehicles and is a worldwide leader. Their tires are noted for durability and high performance. It has partnerships with BMW, Corvette, Porche and Cadillac.

Motor Vehicles. Not that well known in the US, Renault is the fourth largest car franchise behind GM, Toyota and Ford. It has a partnership with Nissan to build an electric car. In a newly formed partnership with Mercedes Benz, Renault will use the Mercedes 2.0 engine in some of its vehicles. Its Kangoo ZE van won the International Van of the Year for 2012.

Pharmaceuticals. Sanofi-Aventis has a strong footprint in Europe and is the world’s fourth largest by prescriptions. Since 1718 when its first laboratory was started, the company has grown to be a world leader in health care products, generics and animal health. Much of their research centers on diabetes and cancer, providing therapies, devices and services in these areas.

Industrial Equipment. If its power generation, Alstrom is a big player in building plants for coal, gas, nuclear, fuel oil, hydropower and wind. Currently it is set to build high- speed rail in the UK and has opened a wind turbine plant in Brazil.

From these brief snippets, we see that France is a leader in every industry category. These companies provide hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Time Warner, Ebay and InterActiveCorp follows on this list. Time Warner generates most of it\’s income through film, television and advertising. Several of this media conglomerate\’s subsidiaries rely on the internet for promotion and news that stations such as CNN broadcasts. In 1995, eBay Inc. hit the market and became one of the most successful stories of the dot-com era. Created for internet consumer-to-consumer transactions, it has become a multi-billion dollar business thanks to its auction format and advertisements. InterActiveCorp is an American internet company created in 1986, eventually coming to own several different companies and websites, not limited too but including : Dictionary.com, Ask.com, Excite, Match.com, College Humor, and Chemistry.com. InterActiveCorp currently owns nearly 60 different websites and companies.

Amazon, RealNetworks, Walt Disney Internet Group and AOL are the last four mentioned here. Amazon is an on-line sales company based in Seattle, Washington. Currently, it is the world\’s largest online retailer. It serves as an online bookstore, as well as selling DVDs, CDs, MP3s, video games, electronics, computer software and much more. RealNetworks is the company whom created RealAudio and RealVideo, which are compressed audio and video formats. Together with the RealPlayer and RealDownloader, all services are provided to the consumer for not only music listening but a movie watching experience as well. Next on the list is the Walt Disney Internet Group, who through their website promotes theme parks and offers various forms of entertainment for children online. Lastly, AOL is included on this list, but it\’s safe to say the company is a dying breed. Formerly known for its online software suite, the split from Time Warner has the company in the middle of a monumental downfall.