That sandwich shop, Subway, has brand buzz LOS ANGELES, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. sandwich chain Subway generated the most buzz of any brand last year, a recent survey says. YouGovBrandIndex rated buzz for 2011 through a survey that asked respondents whether or not they had heard anything about a specific brand either through paid media venues, generally meaning advertising, or through word of mouth, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. What is buzz? Buzz is banter. Mostly it refers to how much a brand is discussed in casual conversations. That means a company can spend more than another on advertising, but if the man on the street isn't aware of the brand, that is considered low in terms of buzz. A company could also be part of a news story, which would generate buzz. YouGovBrandIndex found that Subway generated the most buzz in 2011, followed by Amazon, History Channel, Google, and Cheerios. After the Top 5 came Lowe's at No. 6, followed by Ford Motor Co., Discovery Channel, Target and Apple. Subway's solid advertising campaign put it at the top. Amazon generated buzz through its Kindle Fire launch. The History Channel generated buzz with several conversation-piece programs, such as "Pawn Stars" and "Larry the Cable Guy," the newspaper said. Buzz is not judged. Its value is derived from showing up in conversations. Whether the conversation is negative or positive is not part of the equation. That helped propel Lowe's into the Top 10, the newspaper said. Lowe's generated interest, in part, through its controversial decision to back away from sponsoring a Muslim-American show on TLC, the newspaper said. The survey indicates Lowe's, despite the controversy, generated more buzz than Home Depot, which showed up in the news as a corporation that jumped in to help prepare for and clean-up after Hurricane Irene, which struck the East Coast in late August.