Americans put trust in time-honored brands ... and Google?

By Quirk's Staff | March 1, 2010

Reading time: 3 minutes

Abstract

Harris Interactive's 2010 EquiTrend study indicates that consumers most trust brands that have stood the test of time and provided comfort in earlier years. In a poor economic climate, volatile and new brands struggle to keep up with the likes of Hershey's, Heinz and Hallmark.

Research Topics:: Brand Equity | Brand Identity | Brand/Image Development | Brand/Image Tracking
Industry/Market Focus:: Airlines | Apparel/Accessories/Textiles | Automotive | Beverage | Candy/Confectionery | Cereals | Computer-Software | Entertainment | Fast-Food Industry | Financial/Investment/Banks | Foods/Nutrition | Health Care (Healthcare) | Household Products/Services | Internet/Web | Media | Packaged Goods | Television
Content Type: E-Newsletter Article

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Editor's note: This article appeared in the March 8, 2010, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.

Despite the near-constant product launches and line extensions intended to rocket brands to the top and revamp established brand images, it seems that in a time of great economic unrest consumers still put their trust and favor with brands that have stood the test of time. From Hersey's Kisses and Campbell's Soup to Duracell Batteries and Johnson & Johnson, the brands with the highest brand equity are those that have already seen their share of ups and downs throughout history and provided Americans with stability and comfort, according to EquiTrend, Rochester, N.Y., research company Harris Interactive's annual brand equity study.

The only anomaly on the list? Perhaps not surprisingly, Google. Aside from the search-engine juggernaut's No. 4 spot on the list of the top 25 brands, newer online brands typically scored the lowest in the study. These bottom-dwellers include online dating sites and online universities, along with cigarette companies and the financial sector. The 25 highest-ranked brands are as follows:

1. Hershey's Kisses
2. M&M'S Plain Chocolate Candy
3. Hershey's Milk Chocolate Candy Bars
4. Google.com
5. Duracell
6. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
7. Heinz Ketchup
8. Kleenex
9. Oreo Cookies
10. Neosporin Ointment
11. Cheerios
12. Ritz Crackers
13. Kraft Foods Inc.
14. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
15. Campbell's Soups
16. Snickers
17. Coca-Cola
18. Sharpie
19. Dawn Dish Detergent
20. Johnson & Johnson
21. Energizer
22. UPS
23. Hershey's Chocolate Chips
24. M&M'S Peanut Chocolate Candy
25. Hallmark Greeting Cards

Hershey's Kisses was the highest-rated brand in the entire survey with several other brands from the comfort-foods category (e.g., M&M'S, Hershey Bar, Oreo Cookies and Snickers) ranking high. The remaining brands in the top 25 represent icons of quality within their respective categories. In fact, certain brands have managed to hold the top-ranked spot within their categories uninterrupted for years, including Coca-Cola, Visa, Duracell, Sony, Tide, Kleenex, Hallmark and Subway.

"Even in a time of economic turmoil, consumers remind us that those brands that have consistently delivered on their promise are those that are rewarded with long-term equity," says Jeni Lee Chapman, executive vice president, global brand and communication consulting at Harris Interactive. "It's been a tough year for marketers as they carefully manage their brand investments and strive to protect their long-term equity. The EquiTrend data indicates consistency and strength, despite the recession, for those brands that have not wavered from their promise."

The fallout from the government bailouts tarnished many well-established brands, but the good news is that some are slowly rebounding (e.g., AIG and GM). These brands are working hard to understand how to win back the trust of the U.S. consumer.

EquiTrend covers a broad array of industry categories. The category leaders are a who's who of iconic brands, including UPS, State Farm, Harley Davidson and Microsoft. Below is a list of the highest-ranked brands in select categories:

Airlines - Southwest Airlines
Apparel/Accessories - Hanes Apparel
Appliances - KitchenAid Small Appliances
Automotive Service Centers - Valvoline Instant Oil Change
Automotive Tires - Michelin
Banks - Wells Fargo
Batteries - Duracell
Beer - Blue Moon
Beverages - Coca-Cola
Candy - Hershey's Kisses
Car Rentals - Enterprise
Casual-Dining Chain Restaurants - Olive Garden
Cell Phones - LG
Computer-Related Products - Microsoft Software
Consumer Electronics - Sony Televisions
Credit Cards - Visa
Cruise Line - Princess Cruises
Financial Investments - Vanguard Group
Greeting Cards - Hallmark Greeting Cards
Health Insurance - Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Hotels - Hilton Hotels
Insurance - State Farm Insurance
Laundry Detergent - Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent
Liquor - Grey Goose Vodka
Luxury Automotive Manufacturers - Lexus Vehicles
Media Magazine - National Geographic Magazine
Media Television - Discovery Channel
Merchandise - The Home Depot
Mobile Provider - Verizon Wireless
Motor Oil - Pennzoil
Motorcycles - Harley Davidson
Movie Production Companies - DreamWorks Movie Studio
News service - Associated Press (AP)
Non-Luxury Automotive Manufacturers - Toyota Vehicles
Non-Profit Corporations - Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Paint - KILZ
Pharmaceutical Companies - Johnson & Johnson Healthcare
Quick-Service Restaurants - Subway
Resorts/Attractions - Disney World
Retail Gasoline - Speedway
Tissues - Kleenex
Tobacco - Basic Cigarettes
Toilet Paper - Charmin
Tools - Craftsman
Toys - Nintendo Wii
Wine - Yellow Tail