South Korea's tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. retained its top spot as the most preferred IT brand among U.S. and European consumers in March, data showed Wednesday. According to the survey conducted by market researcher Strategy Analytics on 6,180 users, Samsung earned the highest preference rating at 57.2 points this month, maintaining its top position from similar research conducted in July 2013. The company was able to hold on to the ranking from a strong showing in Europe that made up for slips in the U.S. and Britain, the data indicated.