The Harris Poll Names 2016 Brands Of The Year

Measuring brands' health over time, the EquiTrend Brand Equity Index is comprised of three factors--Familiarity, Quality and Purchase Consideration--that result in a brand equity rating for each brand. Brands ranking highest in equity receive the Harris Poll EquiTrend® "Brand of the Year" award for their respective categories. This year, more than 97,000 U.S. consumers assessed more than 3,800 brands across nearly 500 categories. The complete list of Harris Poll EquiTrend Brands of the Year can be found at: www.theharrispoll.com/business/2016-Brands-of-the-Year.html. Additional information can be found at: www.theharrispoll.com/equitrend-information.

"Consumers form impressions of brands long before they ever use them, based on their perceptions and what they may know from trusted sources," said Joan Sinopoli, vice president of brand solutions at Nielsen, which owns The Harris Poll. "This high level equity is the gateway to eventual purchase; it also helps to protect brands from the consequences of an occasional misstep. The strength of a company's brand equity can have direct business and financial outcomes." 

The Harris Poll EquiTrend Brand Equity Index has been academically vetted¹ twice, showing that strong brand equity is associated with strong financial performance, even during a financial downturn, such as experienced in 2007-2010.

The Biggest Gainers: Technology Brands on a Fast Rise
According to the Harris Poll study, 13 Brands of the Year have increased their equity rating by more than six percent since 2014, a significant increase given the tendency for equity to resist rapid movement. Of the 13 equity risers, six are technology-related brands. Nintendo 3DS/3DS XL demonstrates the largest brand equity increase (+16%) over a three-year period. Other rapid equity movers include Samsung Galaxy Gear Watch, Netflix, YouTube, Sony Home Electronics and Zillow.com. Since last year, Nintendo 3DS/3DS XL (+8%) and Zillow (+6%) show the largest equity increases.

"It's no secret that technology has completely permeated our lives, and this is reflected by the range of technology brands experiencing unusually rapid increases in equity," said Sinopoli. "We watch, we wear, we listen, we play, and we connect, using multiple devices to do so. We're even shopping for real estate online. As U.S. consumers continue to conduct daily activities via technology, we can expect technology brands delivering on their brand promises to make equity gains."

Rapid Risers: Top 13 Brands of the Year with Largest Equity Increases
2014-2016
(Increases of 7 – 16 percent)

Consumers Invest in Top Brands At Home 
According to the 2016 Harris Poll EquiTrend research, non-technology brands on the rapid equity risers list show consumers' willingness to invest in brands to improve their homes.

"It's a cautious recovery, but consumers are paying more attention to brands that help them invest in comfortable, well-maintained homes," said Sinopoli. "Dyson and Kilz have topped their respective categories for years, and they continue to deliver on the expectation of quality they have built over time." 

Financial Institutions March Slowly Toward Improved Brand Equity
The Harris Poll study indicates that consumers' memories of the 2008 financial crisis may be receding; overall, financial institutions continue their slow march toward improved brand equity.  However, brand equity for some financial service providers are increasing more quickly than others. The Vanguard Group, recognized by many consumers as a 401(k) provider, has increased its brand equity by 12 percent since 2014. Capital One increased its brand equity by 10 percent since 2014, likely helped by heavy promotion of its credit card business.

"Our research, across multiple brand studies, shows that when considering investment firms, those providing 401(k) services tend to have the strongest brand equity, likely because they are associated with a very well-defined consumer benefit, versus firms associated with the banking/mortgage crisis," said Sinopoli.

Methodology
The 2016 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study is based on a sample of 97,120 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over surveyed online, in English, between December 22, 2015 and February 1, 2016.  The survey took an average of 30 minutes to complete. The total number of brands rated was 3,837. Each respondent was asked to rate a total of 40 randomly selected brands. Each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings. Data was weighted to be representative of the entire U.S. population of consumers ages 15 and over based on age by sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, income, and data from respondents ages 18 and over were also weighted for their propensity to be online. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll surveys. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in our panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

The Brand Equity Index is the keystone to the EquiTrend program, providing an understanding of a brand's overall strength. A brand's Equity is determined by a calculation of Familiarity, Quality and Purchase Consideration. Brand of the Year is determined by a simple ranking of brands.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

About The Harris Poll
Over the last five decades, Harris Polls have become media staples. With comprehensive experience and precise technique in public opinion polling, along with a proven track record of uncovering consumers' motivations and behaviors, The Harris Poll has gained strong brand recognition around the world. The Harris Poll offers a diverse portfolio of proprietary client solutions to transform relevant insights into actionable foresight for a wide range of industries including health care, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer packaged goods. Nielsen acquired Harris Interactive, Inc. (which operates The Harris Poll) in 2014. Contact us for more information.

Harris Poll EquiTrend study results disclosed in this release may not be used for advertising, marketing or promotional purposes without the prior written consent of Harris Poll. All third party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Use of such trademarks does not constitute or imply any sponsorship or endorsement.

The 2016 Harris Poll EquiTrend Brands of the Year

¹ The Harris Poll EquiTrend methodology has been validated by academic business experts in the Journal of Marketing Research (1994) and International Journal of Research on Marketing (2012).
² A mid-sized bank that has a significant presence in a geographical region across multiple states.

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Jennifer Frighetto, [email protected], 847.702.5304

SOURCE The Harris Poll

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