YouGov BrandIndex Global Brand Buzz Rankings for the first half of 2012 have been released for 12 countries in 16 industry categories. The report ranks the top brands and the brands with the most improved rankings.
Survey respondents were asked if they had heard anything positive or negative about specific brands in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth. The top brands in the U.S. and U.K. according to the BrandIndex Buzz Rankings follow.
Top Brands in the U.S.
- Subway
- Cheerios
- Amazon
- History (Channel)
- Ford
- Discovery Channel
- Lowe’s
- Olive Garden
- YouTube
Top Brands in the U.K.
- BBC iPlayer
- Amazon
- Marks & Spencer
- John Lewis
- MoneySavingExpert.com
- Apple
- Sainsbury’s
- Cathedral City
- Samsung
The most improved brands in the U.S. and U.K. according to the BrandIndex Buzz Rankings for the first half of 2012 are:
Top Brand Buzz Improvers in the U.S.
- BP
- Toyota
- MTV
- Allstate
- Blue Cross/Blue Shield
- PBS
- Blockbuster
- Dockers
- Taco Bell
- Aflac
Top Brand Buzz Improvers in the U.K.
- BP
- British Airways
- Sky
- Ryanair
- British Gas
- Samsung
- Webuyanycar.com
- Scottish Power
- Cadbury
- London Underground
One of the most interesting highlights from the U.S. and U.K. brand buzz rankings is Google’s drop in both lists to tenth place in the top brand buzz lists. Consumers in both companies feel that the brand’s enormous reach and extension into businesses outside of what they expect from the brand they associate with internet search is becoming confusing. The perception of the brand is becoming less focused, and that’s always a problem for brands in the long-term. We’ll have to wait and see how Google handles it in the future.
The only other brand that made the top 10 brand buzz list in both the U.S. and U.K. is Amazon, which consumers’ score highly, particularly as the brand becomes more closely associated with technology through its Kindle ereader and the Waterstones e-reader (in the U.K.), as well as an upcoming launch of an Android Appstore in Europe. Technology products like these fit into the retail and ecommerce perceptions consumers expect from the Amazon brand, and they’re welcomed as the brand’s continued high buzz ranking shows.
You can follow the link to view the entire BrandIndex 2012 Mid-Year Global Brand Rankings report by country, industry category, and more.
Susan Gunelius is the author of 10 marketing, social media, branding, copywriting, and technology books, and she is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She also owns Women on Business, an award-wining blog for business women. She is a featured columnist for Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.com, and her marketing-related articles have appeared on websites such as MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, TodayShow.com, and more.
She has over 20 years of experience in the marketing field having spent the first decade of her career directing marketing programs for some of the largest companies in the world, including divisions of AT&T and HSBC. Today, her clients include large and small companies around the world and household brands like Citigroup, Cox Communications, Intuit, and more. Susan is frequently interviewed about marketing and branding by television, radio, print, and online media organizations, and she speaks about these topics at events around the world. You can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.
