Superbrands survey throws up some unusual results

21 July 2008 by Simon

The UK’s top brands have been announced today, and it seems to raise more questions that perhaps it should.

The Superbrands Council have announced the results of their annual survey into the UK's top brands and it contains a few surprises and makes us ask how they conducted the survey. With much fanfare and with the noise of trumpets in the background here is the 2008 top ten:

Google
Microsoft
Mercedes-Benz
BBC
British Airways
Royal Doulton
BMW
Bosch
Nike
Sony

Now there are some of the ‘usual suspects' in the list. Brands like; BBC, Nike and Sony are all big, high value household names that deserve their place in the list through years of careful, and often innovative work. Can you remember another occasion when a simple advert for an LCD TV became a significant cultural event, as in the case with the recent Bravia campaign.

But the brand top ten does contain a few unusual entries. Royal Doulton, British Airways and Microsoft are the first that seem to jar a little and even the number one spot is taken by a brand that raises quite a few questions here at Rocket HQ.

When was the last time you went out with the express intention to buy Royal Doulton products, I'm not even sure where or how I'd buy Royal Doulton? Does anyone even know what the logo looks like? It's been many years since the media ever reported anything positive in connection with British Airways, and despite some of the worst PR in living memory they still take a top five place.

Google and Microsoft are also slightly strange choices. Whilst undeniably big brands and both household names. They don't at first appear to be brands that the great British Public would take to their hearts. Do most people run Microsoft software on their home PC's because of a love of the brand, or because that's what the laptop came with and they have no idea a choice was available? Similarly, do most people use Google because it's the most well known or because they have made a conscious choice to do so?

Comments

Bert
Posts: 3

Mmmm
Reply #3 on : Mon December 01, 2008, 15:26:13

What does define a top brand? Is it that we choose to use the brand or that fact that we know of the brand.

A logo is not a brand and in the case of Royal Doulton, I think you are making the mistake of thinking that a logo is a brand. Royal Doulton is associated with and well known for quality (if you like that sort of thing). Logos can change but in most cases, the brand and your experience of the brand, remain the same.

If nothing else, British Airways is a well known brand, even if it is well known for being bad!

Microsoft - quite simply well known. Its like water. Everybody drinks it and knows of it. Water being essential of course!

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Posts: 3

ukugvxhb
Reply #2 on : Fri September 26, 2008, 00:49:15

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Ian
Posts: 3

stealing
Reply #1 on : Mon July 21, 2008, 22:43:17

I don't think we should mention the Sony Bravia campaign in the same paragraph as 'innovative', especially as they nicked the idea from my personal favs, Kozyndan:
http://kozyndan.livejournal.com/113874.html

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