Retailers and FMCG dominate index of most highly rated brands
The latest annual YouGov BrandIndex league table has shown that Google, Amazon and Marks & Spencer were the most highly-rated brands by UK consumers in 2011 for the second year running.
The index measures how consumers perceive brands on a daily basis in terms of quality, value, customer satisfaction, corporate reputation, general impression, and likelihood of consumers to recommend the brand.
Of the Top 20 brands, seven were retailers and include Amazon, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Boots, Sainsbury’s, Thorntons and Waterstones.
Amazon, which slightly closed the gap on Google, was one of only three brands in the Top 20 whose rating score has improved on last year. The others were both FMCG brands, Colgate and Cathedral City.
Sarah Murphy, YouGov’s Associate Director, BrandIndex said: “It’s been a tough year for the leading brands, very few have managed to improve their perceptions in consumers’ eyes. However, many outside the leaders have certainly bucked that trend, most notably British Airways, Android – Google’s operating system for smartphones and tablet computers – and mobile phone manufacturer HTC who achieved the highest increase in consumer ratings from 2010 to 2011.”
Cadbury, Waterstones and Bosch were the only three brands (aside from Nokia) to drop places within the Top 20. Apple, Facebook and Twitter came relatively low in the listing at 40th, 182nd and 615th, respectively.
Microsoft was the most highly-rated brand in the IT/Office Technology sector, while Nokia took the top spot in the Mobile/PDA sector, Skype in the Telecoms sector and Money Saving Expert in the online services sector. Virgin Atlantic was the most-highly rated airline; the Post Office led the way for high-street banks and Premier Inn for Travel Agents/Hotels/Guides.
