As Google and Amazon beat Apple and Facebook in Ipsos Mori’s Top 100 Most Influential Brands study, Jessica Davies takes a look at what makes an influential brand.
The survey of 1,000 UK consumers centred on five overarching themes: trustworthiness, leading edge, corporate citizenship which included environmental responsibility, engagement, and presence.
The top five brands in the index – Google, Amazon, BBC, Microsoft and eBay – generate high ratings in all categories but stole the edge on competitors due to their use of technology, either to adapt to existing consumer needs or shape and change behaviours.
The top 10 positions went to a mix of pureplay and traditional legacy brands, with Microsoft taking third position, having scored highly for product innovation and being classed as a leading edge brand. The BBC meanwhile came in at fourth with consumers maintaining high levels of trust and engagement with the brand.
eBay took fifth position, with respondents citing the online retailer as both trustworthy and leading edge. People spend an average of 17 minutes on eBay assessing and reassessing bids, and it was cited as having “changed the consumer landscape”, by prompting new behaviours and meeting existing demands, according to the study.
Apple missed out on a top five slot, trailing Google in sixth position. However it was classed as a leading edge and iconic brand, just not to the same extent as those companies in the top five. Mistakes made over the fact it failed to include Google Maps – a superior mapping product to its own version – on its iPhone 5 were among reasons why it ranked lower in the list, according to the report.
Facebook also missed out on a top five position due to the fact it does not yet command the same level of trust as the top five. However, it is regarded as leading edge and has shaped people’s behaviour so took seventh position, leaving Twitter at 47th.
Marks & Spencer was the top ranking high street retailer, finishing in eighth position with respondents praising its strong presence, trustworthiness and its delivery of a consistent message.
Royal Mail came in ninth overall, also scoring high on trust as well as for managing to remain relevant in the evolving online landscape, while Visa takes 10th place having scored highly for its strong presence.
The report found a high correlation between those brands with the highest influence and those with biggest market share – proving that influence does contribute to bottom line. But, according to Ipsos ASI director Gareth Jones, the results show that a strong brand presence, largely driven by advertising, is not enough to ensure a place in the top 10 most influential brands in consumers’ minds.
He said: “Tailoring products and services to how people live their lives and even changing their behaviours by identifying their needs are the reasons why these brands have reached the top 10. You don’t have to be a technology brand to be seen as leading edge, even using technology in small ways such as to allow shopping online and picking up in-store – that is the kind of thing that can change how consumers behave.”