Harris Interactive, in its "EquiTrend Brand Study," went online and polled 25,666 US consumers, ages 15 and older, in order to measure and compare the brand quality and equity scores of over 1,000 brands within 39 categories.
Seven key measures were used to determine a brand's standing:
- Equity
- Familiarity
- Quality
- Purchase Consideration
- Overall Relevance
- Brand Expectations
- Distinctiveness
The results were somewhat surprising.
In first place was Reynolds Wrap, the multi-purpose aluminum foil found in many American kitchens.
As noted by Advertising Age, "Reynolds…topped such icons as Coke, Pepsi and McDonald's. It blew away the ubiquitous Nike. It outclassed Mercedes and Lexus. It left the hip iPod in the dust." It was followed by Ziploc bags and Hershey's chocolate bars.
Kleenex, Clorox and WD-40 held down the next three positions. And, in a strange outcome, Ziploc reappeared in the eighth position, but as Ziploc containers.
The findings could be seen as a blow against massive brand advertising campaigns, as, according to TNS Media Intelligence data, the number-one rated brand, Reynolds Wrap, received only $7.5 million in media support last year, a mere pittance compared to many "big" media-spending brands.
For information on online branding trends, consult the eMarketer report Online Ad Targeting: Engaging the Audience.