The Brands we Love Most

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By Harris, Special for USDR

The brands Americans love say a lot about how they live. In 2015, classic trusted brands increasingly comingle with “connected” internet brands based on the top brands in the 2015 Harris Poll EquiTrend® study. EquiTrend is Harris Poll’s annual study of brands.

The EquiTrend Brand Equity Index is comprised of three key factors—Familiarity, Quality and Consideration—that result in a Brand Equity rating for each brand. Brands that rank highest in Equity receive the Harris Poll EquiTrend “Brand of the Year” award for their category. For this, the 27^th annual study, more than 38,000 Americans assessed over 1,400 brands across 148 categories.

Something Old

Twelve brands have been ranked #1 in equity within their respective categories for 5 or more years in a row, and many of these scored in the top 10% of all brands measured in EquiTrend in 2015. These brands cover a range of categories, from sandwich shops (Subway), to mass merchandisers (Target), paint (KILZ), to greeting cards (Hallmark).

“Brands that build and keep their promise over time—and develop strong differentiation—stay relevant for the long term,” noted Joan Sinopoli, Vice President of Brand Solutions at Harris Poll. “Strong equity has value and can sustain companies through hard times. Target remains one of America’s most esteemed brands despite the data breach in 2014, and consumers are willing to give it a chance to rebound.”

Brands with Staying Power: Tops in their categories for five or more consecutive years

Brand of the Year	Category
Visa	Payment card
Hallmark Greeting Cards	Greeting card
Craftsman Tools	Power Tool
Subway	Sandwich Shop
Target Stores	Mass Merchandiser
The Weather Channel	TV News
Michelin Tires	Tires
KILZ	Paint
Southwest Airlines	Value Airline
Mercedes-Benz Vehicles	Luxury Automotive
Verizon Mobile Network	Mobile Network
Blue Cross and Blue Shield	Health Insurance

Something New

A look at the top non-CPG brands* rated in EquiTrend magnifies the importance of technology and connectivity in simplifying and enhancing American lives. Four of the top-ranked brands owe their success to connectivity: Amazon.com, Netflix, PayPal, and YouTube.

“The degree to which connectivity has shifted brand building from something that happens over time to something that can happen in short order is amazing,” Sinopoli commented. “That’s not to say that Amazon or Netflix are comets. They have done careful planning, picked where and how to expand, and developed smart product strategies to help challenge conventional wisdom and quickly become part of how we live our lives today. That’s what branding is all about: making human connections with everyday life.”

The Next Big Thing: Mobile Wallets

As technology continues transforming financial services, for the first time, EquiTrend measured mobile payments. Despite category fragmentation and limited familiarity across brands, the category is poised to transform very quickly. PayPal, the established “click and pay” brand, leads direct competitors by a wide margin.

What does the future hold? EquiTrend shows that any wallet associated with Amazon.com, Google, Apple and major credit card providers gains a solid level of familiarity courtesy of the parent brand, as well as strong quality perceptions and a predisposition to try.

“Market fragmentation, rolling rebranding, and merchants waiting for the shakeout before investing in systems has gotten in the way of adoption,” noted Sinopoli. “When one of these brands gets the execution right and merchant acceptance hits critical mass, consumers appear ready to jump on board. Visa has changed its mobile wallet branding from V.me to Visa Checkout. Mastercard’s PayPass is now MasterPass. Both payment cards are strong financial brands, and clearly the intent is to extend that esteem and solidity to these product extensions,” stated Sinopoli.

From an equity perspective, within the financial services sector, payment cards have not been impacted by the recession. Visa has held its position as the top ranked payment card for five years running.

Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Automotive	Motor Oil	Mobil 1 Motor Oil
Automotive	Online Auto Shopping	Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com)
Automotive	Full Line Automotive	Toyota Vehicles
Automotive	Luxury Automotive	Mercedes-Benz Vehicles
Automotive	Motorcycle	Harley-Davidson Motorcycles
Automotive	Auto Service Center	Discount Tire
Automotive	Tires	Michelin Tires
Automotive	Car Audio	Bose In-Vehicle Audio
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
CPG	Chocolate Candy	Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate Candy
CPG	Non-Chocolate Candy	Reese’s Pieces Candy
CPG	Premium Chocolate	Ghirardelli Chocolate
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Financial Services	National Bank	CHASE Bank
Financial Services	Super Regional Bank	BB&T Bank
Financial Services	Health Insurance	Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Financial Services	Auto Insurance	USAA Auto Insurance
Financial Services	Home Insurance	USAA Home Insurance
Financial Services	Life Insurance	USAA Life Insurance
Financial Services	Investment	The Vanguard Group
Financial Services	Discount Brokerage	Fidelity Investments Financial Services
Financial Services	Mobile Payment	PayPal
Financial Services	Payment Card	Visa
Financial Services	Tax Preparation	TurboTax
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Household	Greeting Card	Hallmark Greeting Cards
Household	Health Information Website	MayoClinic.org
Household	Major Appliance	Samsung Appliances
Household	Movie Theater	Regal Cinemas
Household	Online Home Search	Trulia.com
Household	Online Job Search	Indeed.com
Household	Paint	KILZ
Household	Power Tool	Craftsman Tools
Household	Real Estate Agency	Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
Household	Single Serve Coffee Maker	Keurig Single Serve Coffee Maker
Household	Small Kitchen Appliance	KitchenAid Small Appliances
Household	Vacuum Cleaner	Dyson Vacuum
Household	Social Networking Site	YouTube
Household	Window Covering	Levolor Blinds & Shades
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Transportation/Delivery	Moving Truck	U-Haul Moving Truck Rental
Transportation/Delivery	Package Delivery	UPS (United Parcel Service)
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Media	TV Service Provider	Verizon FiOS
Media	Video Streaming Subscription	Netflix
Media	News Service	Google News
Media	Music TV	CMT Network (Country Music Television)
Media	Pay Cable TV Network	HBO Television Network
Media	Factual Entertainment TV	History Channel
Media	General Entertainment TV	AMC Television Network (American Movie Classics)
Media	Kids’ TV	Sprout Network (formerly PBS Kids Sprout)
Media	Sports TV	ESPN Television Network
Media	TV Network	CBS Television Network
Media	TV News	The Weather Channel
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Non-Profit Corporations	Animal Welfare Non-Profit	American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Non-Profit Corporations	Disability Non-Profit	Goodwill
Non-Profit Corporations	Environmental Non-Profit	Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Non-Profit Corporations	Health Non-Profit	St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Non-Profit Corporations	International Aid Non-Profit	Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)
Non-Profit Corporations	Social Services Non-Profit	Habitat for Humanity
Non-Profit Corporations	Disabled Veterans Association	Paralyzed Veterans of America
Non-Profit Corporations	Youth Non-Profit	Girl Scouts of the USA
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Over-the-Counter Products	OTC Children’s Pain Relief	Children’s Tylenol
Over-the-Counter Products	OTC Cold / Allergy	Vicks Cold and Flu Products (DayQuil/NyQuil)
Over-the-Counter Products	OTC Digestive Aid	TUMS
Over-the-Counter Products	OTC Fiber supplement	Metamucil
Over-the-Counter Products	OTC Laxative	Dulcolax
Over-the-Counter Products	OTC Pain Relief	Advil Pain Reliever
Over-the-Counter Products	OTC Sleep Aid	Advil PM
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Retail	Convenience Store	Sheetz Convenience Store
Retail	Department Store	Kohl’s Department Stores
Retail	Discount Shoes Store	DSW Shoes
Retail	Gasoline	Shell Gasoline
Retail	Gift Basket	Harry & David
Retail	Hardware & Home Store	The Home Depot
Retail	Jeweler	Tiffany & Co.
Retail	Luxury Department Store	Lord & Taylor Department Store
Retail	Mass Merchandiser	Target Stores
Retail	Office Supply Store	Staples Stores
Retail	Off-Price Retailer	Ross Dress For Less
Retail	Pet Supply Store	PetSmart Stores
Retail	Pharmacy	CVS Pharmacy
Retail	Sporting Goods Store	DICK’S Sporting Goods
Retail	Value Store	Dollar Tree
Retail	Warehouse Club	Costco
Retail	South Region Grocery Store	Publix
Retail	Midwest Region Grocery Store	Hy-Vee
Retail	Northeast Region Grocery Store	Wegmans
Retail	West Region Grocery Store	Costco (Groceries)
Retail	Online Grocery	Amazon Prime Pantry
Retail	E-Retailer	Amazon.com
Retail	Online Department Store	Kohls.com
Retail	Online Mass Merchandiser	Target.com
Retail	Online Office Supplies	Staples.com
Retail	Online Computer Retailer	BestBuy.com
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Tech	Computer Manufacturer	Hewlett-Packard (HP) Computers
Tech	Consumer Electronics	Samsung Home Electronics
Tech	Digital Camera	Canon Digital Camera
Tech	Gaming Console	Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4)
Tech	Operating System	Android
Tech	Printing & Imaging	HP Printing & Imaging
Tech	Smartwatch	Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch
Tech	Tablet Computer	Apple iPad Series Tablet
Tech	Video Game Series	Grand Theft Auto Video Games
Tech	Wearable Fitness Tech	Fitbit Fitness Trackers
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Telecommunications	Mobile Network	Verizon Mobile Network
Telecommunications	Mobile Phone	Samsung Galaxy Series Phone
Category	Award Category	2015 Brand of the Year
Travel/Entertainment	Cruise Line	Royal Caribbean International
Travel/Entertainment	Online Travel Service	Hotels.com
Travel/Entertainment	Value Airline	Southwest Airlines
Travel/Entertainment	Full Service Airline	Delta Air Lines
Travel/Entertainment	Economy Hotel	Americas Best Value Inn
Travel/Entertainment	Extended Stay Hotel	Homewood Suites by Hilton
Travel/Entertainment	Full Service Hotel	Marriott Hotels
Travel/Entertainment	Luxury Hotel	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Travel/Entertainment	Mid-Market Hotel	Hampton Inn & Suites
Travel/Entertainment	Burger Restaurant	In-N-Out Burger
Travel/Entertainment	Casual Dining Restaurant	Outback Steakhouse
Travel/Entertainment	Chicken Restaurant	Chick-fil-A
Travel/Entertainment	Coffee & Quick Service Restaurant	Krispy Kreme
Travel/Entertainment	Fast Casual Mexican Restaurant	Chipotle Mexican Grill
Travel/Entertainment	Italian Dining Restaurant	Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Travel/Entertainment	Pizza Chain	Pizza Hut
Travel/Entertainment	Sandwich Shop	Subway
Travel/Entertainment	Sports League	NFL (National Football League)

Harris Poll EquiTrend® Methodology

Harris Poll EquiTrend is based on a sample of 38,670 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over surveyed online in English language between January 8 and February 2, 2015. The survey took an average of 30 minutes to complete. The total number of brands rated was 1,410. Each respondent was asked to rate a total of 40 randomly selected brands. Each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings. Data were weighted to be representative of the entire U.S. population of consumers ages 15 and over based on age by sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, income, and data from respondents ages 18 and over were also weighted for their propensity to be online. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in our panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

The Brand Equity Index is the keystone to the EquiTrend program, providing an understanding of a brand’s overall strength. A brand’s Equity is determined by a calculation of Familiarity, Quality and Purchase Consideration. Brand of the Year is determined by a simple ranking of brands.