BBC iPlayer, Samsung and John Lewis top YouGov half-year brand rankings

July 10, 2013, 9:23 AM GMT+0

London Underground and Royal Mail are the top most improved brands

BBC iPlayer was the #1 brand in terms of consumer perception for the first half of 2013, according to YouGov BrandIndex.

The BBC’s internet television and radio service, which was launched in 2007, had the highest *Buzz score of any UK brand for the first half of this year. Electronics giant Samsung leapt five places from this time last year to become the second most positively-viewed brand in Britain, followed by department store chain John Lewis, which rose one spot from this time last year and now sits at #3 on YouGov’s half-year brand ranking.

BBC iPlayer was not the only online media player to make the list, as YouTube – a new entry to the top 10 – snagged the #7 spot. The other new entries to the top 10 were home appliance brand Dyson, BBC.co.uk, and supermarket chain Waitrose.

Commenting on the YouGov BrandIndex Top 10 rankings, YouGov’s Donald Miller said: “BBC iPlayer and bbc.co.uk continue to outstrip their parent brand in terms of consumer perception. This shows that consumers can in fact separate different parts of an organisation in their minds, and so if one part of a company gets some bad press it doesn’t necessarily drag down the elements that are working well.”

Top 10 Most Improved Brands

London Underground has seen the largest increase in its YouGov BrandIndex Buzz score in the first half of 2013, making it the #1 most improved brand. It was followed by Royal Mail, the state-owned postal service, and women’s intimate apparel brand La Senza was the third most improved brand.

Commenting on the YouGov BrandIndex most improved brands list, YouGov Public Sector Director Gavin Ellison said: “The public’s improved view of London Underground is likely due in part to its success in managing traffic during last year’s Olympic Games. It also made the most of its 150th anniversary celebrations, perhaps reminding commuters that although it is far from perfect, the tube has come a long way over the past century and a half.”

“The fact that Royal Mail is the second most improved brand is significant in that it could make the company more attractive to investors at a time when its planned sell-off is drawing nearer. The brand has also received positive media coverage related to its revived financial fortunes in the run-up to privatisation.”

*Buzz is a net score based on whether consumers are hearing something positive versus something negative about a brand through advertising, news or word of mouth.

See more about the UK and all our international brand rankings on the BrandIndex website

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Top 10 Buzz Improvers