Budget supermarkets Aldi and Lidl are the highest performing brands in YouGov BrandIndex’s Buzz score rankings for 2014, whilst there is still good news for some more of Britain’s most loved retailers.
The rankings are based on YouGov’s BrandIndex Buzz scores (which measures whether consumers have heard anything positive or negative about the brand in the last two weeks).
Aldi is first in the overall rankings with a score of +26.3 with Lidl behind on +20.3. Lidl also finds itself at the top of our ‘Buzz Improvers list’ with a change of score compared to 2013 of +11.6. Aldi has had similar success an increase of ten points.
The findings confirm the trend identified in the mid-year rankings. It is however, important to note the rate of improvement. Aldi were fourth in the annual list for 2013, while Lidl were not even in the top ten, underlying the rate at which the retailers have been pervading public consciousness.
| BrandIndex: Top 10 Brands 2014 (Based on Buzz) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Brand | Score | |
1 | Aldi | 26.3 | |
2 | Lidl | 20.3 | |
3 | John Lewis | 18.3 | |
4 | BBC iPlayer | 18.0 | |
5 | Dyson | 14.0 | |
6 | Waitrose | 13.1 | |
7 | BBC.co.uk | 11.6 | |
8 | Netflix | 11.3 | |
8 | Marks & Spencer | 11.3 | |
10 | MoneySavingExpert.com | 11.0 | |
Waitrose (+13.1 – 6th) and Marks & Spencer (+11.3 – joint 8th) can be pleased with their performance, over the year, showing that they are at least making positive steps in their marketing and service efforts.Elsewhere, fresh from another powerful Christmas campaign, John Lewis emphasises its steadfast appeal in third place (+18.3). BBC iPlayer – at first place this time last year- drops to fourth (+18.0) but can be content that its popularity is constant, as is the same with bbc.co.uk in seventh (+11.6). The desire for exclusive content has aided Netflix’s entrance into the top ten in eighth (+11.3).
Of the other brands that have seen the greatest improvement over the year, budget airline Ryanair has achieved an increase of +10.6, though its overall score remains negative. There is good news for traditional high street retailer HMV (change of +7.5) and the embattled energy firms SSE (up +6.0) and British Gas (up +5.8), though both remain in negative territory.
| BrandIndex: Top 10 Improvers 2014 vs. 2013 (Based on Buzz) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Brand | Change in Score | |
1 | Lidl | 11.6 | |
2 | Ryanair | 10.6 | |
3 | Aldi | 10.0 | |
4 | Findus | 9.8 | |
5 | HMV | 7.5 | |
6 | National Lottery | 6.1 | |
7 | SSE (Scottish & Southern Energy) | 6.0 | |
8 | British Gas | 5.8 | |
9 | Santander | 5.1 | |
10 | Starbucks | 4.5 | |
Sarah Murphy, YouGov BrandIndex Director commented on the findings: “Aldi and Lidl have cemented their place at the top of our rankings due to effective marketing, great value, and an increased perception of quality products. While negative stories have often hit larger rivals over the year, the German retailers have been asserting that they are the alternative.
The presence of other traditional favourites such as the John Lewis and Dyson shows the importance of creating a notion of trust and a reputation for quality among consumers.
In terms of the improvers, brands such as Ryanair, SSE and British Gas will see this as a justification of their efforts to begin to change public perception of their brands. There is still a long way to go for those companies to achieve a positive overall score and a place in the nation’s hearts however.”
