NEW YORK, April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As consumers look to replace old appliances, KitchenAid is the brand of choice for both large and small appliances. KitchenAid swept both categories and was awarded 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend® Brand of the Year in Major Appliances as well as Small Appliances. Within the Major Appliance category, Kenmore ranked a close second followed by Whirlpool. Among Small Appliances, Cuisinart brands took the second and third spots followed by Black & Decker. Overall, awards are given in each of 46 different categories.

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Other categories had brands that stood out among the pack. The Tide, Craftsman, and KILZ brands all significantly outperformed their competitors in their respective categories. Tide Liquid Laundry Detergent was awarded 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend® Detergent Brand of the Year, while Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent was the next leading competitor. KILZ ranked highest among paint brands for the second year in a row, increasing its dominance in the category over second ranked brand Benjamin Moore and third ranked Behr. Among tool brands, Craftsman ranked highest for the second consecutive year, followed by Black & Decker and DeWalt. Rigid Power Tools and Irwin Industrial Tools gained significant ground among consumer brand perception.

"Dominant brands in the household continue to have consumer share of mind," said Jeni Lee Chapman, Executive Vice President of Brand and Communications Consulting at Harris Interactive. "As consumers continue to tighten their belts, brands like KitchenAid, Tide and Craftsman have their trust."

Other traditional brands topped their respective household goods categories as well. Crest ranked highest among toothpaste brands, closely followed by Colgate, while Aquafresh ranked a distant third. Among greeting cards brands, Hallmark is the 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend® Greeting Card Brand of the Year, however DaySpring significantly improved over last year and ranked second.

"Although Americans seem to gravitate to traditional brands for household goods, that doesn't mean they are ignoring up and coming brands," says Chapman. "In a challenging economy, newer brands that demonstrate strong quality and a good value proposition will build brand equity and consideration."

Methodology

The EquiTrend® study evaluates measures including: Equity, Consumer Connection, Commitment, Brand Behavior, Brand Advocacy, and Trust. The keystone to the program is Equity, which provides an understanding of a brand's overall strength and is determined by a calculation of Familiarity, Quality, and Purchase Consideration.

This year's Harris Poll EquiTrend® study was conducted online among 25,099 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over between January 11 and 27, 2011. A total of 1,273 brands were rated in 53 separate categories.  Each respondent was asked to rate a total of 60 randomly selected brands.  Each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings. Data were weighted to be representative of the entire U.S. population of consumers ages 15 and over on the basis of age sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, and income, and data from respondents ages 18 and over were also weighted for their propensity to be online.

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

The EquiTrend® study results disclosed in this release may not be used for advertising, marketing or promotional purposes without the prior written consent of Harris Interactive.

Product and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

For a complete listing of all the brands covered in the study, contact Dagney Cassella at 212-539-9600 or dcassella@harrisinteractive.com.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

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SOURCE Harris Interactive