BrandIndex's Friday column in Brandweek: Netflix vs. Blockbuster, AOL vs. MySpace, Honda vs. Hyundai

 

 

Netflix Beats Blockbuster in Brand Loyalty

Dec 10, 2010

- Brandweek and YouGov Staff

This month, Blockbuster launched its first ad campaign since 2007. But the beleaguered movie rental chain is still nowhere near Netflix, which has the highest brand loyalty compared to rivals, per research firm YouGov.

The Brandweek BrandIndex Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral. This week's report also measures consumer willingness to recommend a brand.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

The report spotlights the following brands.


Blockbuster vs. Netflix
Currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Blockbuster is in need of cash and is focusing on the holidays, a time when summer movie hits are released on DVD.

The movie rental chain launched a new campaign during Thanksgiving week, with the tagline: "Less waiting, More watching." The effort, estimated at $15-20 million, boasts that Blockbuster stores have a 28-day exclusivity window on some new releases over competitors like Netflix and Redbox.

After a downhill slide in recommend score (brand loyalty), Blockbuster–which was once above its rival DirecTV–appears to be stemming the tide, at least for now. Since bottoming out just a few points below zero at the end of November, Blockbuster's score has moved up to the point of equal positive and negative sentiment.

Blockbuster still has a long way to go to catch up to Netflix, which is at its highest brand loyalty score of 35. It remains much closer to DirecTV, which stands at 8.6.




AOL and MySpace
At the beginning of 2010, AOL and MySpace were two of the more notable troubled Internet brands. AOL was in the middle of a turnaround under former Google president Tim Armstrong to become a content-generating powerhouse. MySpace, once the most popular social networking site in the U.S., has since been overtaken in traffic by Facebook.

On Jan. 1, AOL and MySpace were a mere few points apart in negative perception in index scores, which is YouGov BrandIndex’s overall yardstick for measuring brand health, averaging the sub-scores of quality, value, impression, satisfaction, reputation and willingness to recommend.

After three months, the brands took different directions and never came that close again the rest of the year. AOL snapped up TechCrunch and has been expanding its content areas– essentially keeping its index score treading water. MySpace underwent a complete overhaul this fall, and is now rumored to be on the block, with its index score at a 2010 low.

Throughout the year, AOL hovered around the -15 mark, pretty much where it started and where it is today. On the other hand, MySpace’s index score began eroding at the end of March, a long fall for what was once a social media icon. After hitting -23.8 on Aug. 31, the score began a mild climb as the site was heading towards a major relaunch at the end of October, with a new logo, cleaner design, better sharing functionality and a Facebook partnership. But the momentum didn’t last. MySpace’s score sunk back down to its present
-28.




Honda vs. Hyundai
Exploiting the holiday spirit, both Honda and Hyundai unveiled end-of-year campaigns during Thanksgiving, in hopes of boosting sales numbers.

While Honda’s sales are up 4 percent through November, the industry has seen an 11 percent increase. The carmaker started the year with an unusual gift: Toyota’s massive and much more highly publicized recalls overshadowed Honda’s own recalls. Honda’s buzz score with adults over 18 dropped significantly from 26.1 to 11.7 in less than 30 days after the news broke.

By the third week of April, however, Honda had recovered and stayed in the low 20s until late August, when its score jumped to 25. The new “Happy Honda Days” campaign eschewed spots featuring "Mr. Opportunity," and Honda’s buzz scored has remained at 25.

Hyundai also put on a happy face for its campaign. Over the course of the year, the carmaker nearly doubled its buzz score from 8.2 to 15.5, breaking through the sector average by the end of January.

Black Friday media blitz for YouGov BrandIndex in Brandweek, Forbes, Mediapost

CMO Network

Black Friday’s Hottest Consumer Electronics Brands

Nov. 23 2010 - 12:49 pm

By ELAINE WONG

When it comes to consumer electronics, Apple rules the roost this Black Friday season.

The personal computer maker, along with three of its most popular products—the iPod, iPad and iPhone—ranked 1, 3, 7 and 8, respectively, in a new ranking of this holiday shopping weekend’s most buzzed about brands. YouGov’s BrandIndex, which tracks consumers’ daily perceptions of brands, compiled the report.

Apple aside, which came in with a buzz score of 32.5, other highly sought after consumer electronics brands include Nintendo’s Wii (second place, with a buzz score of 31.3), Bose (#4, 29.1), Sony (#5, 27.3) and LG (#6, 27.0). Hewlett-Packard rounded out the list (#10, 21.5). YouGov compiled the data for Forbes on November 19, and the buzz scores are a ratio of participants’ positive versus negative feedback about a brand. (The firm reached out to 5,000 respondents ages 18 or older—out of its sample set of 1.5 million U.S. adults—for the study.)

Okay, buzz is one thing, but what do these numbers mean for marketers and consumers who have stumbled across this post? Looking at this year’s “winners,” a few take home points jump out:

*It’s good to be Apple. Times are tough, indeed, but Apple still enjoys top-of-mind awareness among shoppers heading into this Black Friday season. Dad might not be willing to shell out $500 for a new dining table, but he’ll plunk down $1,000+ for a new MacBook Pro if it makes his youngest daughter look good, right? (This really happened with Media Geek’s sibling, who just started at Temple University as a business major. Media Geek got squat for her freshman year college present.) Plus, though Apple may be a brand that connotes style and class, it’s not too stuck up to offer consumers a good Black Friday deal. As this Mashable post notes, the company is holding a one-day, Black Friday sale where consumers can find deals on beloved Apple products.

*Value matters. Microsoft might’ve put big marketing dollars behind its Xbox Kinect, game controller-free entertainment system, but Nintendo’s Wii, which the former was meant to challenge, still managed to hold its place. (Xbox Kinect didn’t make the top 10.) Why? Penny pinched consumers might see Nintendo’s Wii as a better value buy. Most of its consoles sell

for under $200 on Amazon.com, whereas Xbox Kinect’s list price runs anywhere from $149 to $399, depending on what equipment you already have, per Microsoft’s site.

*Quality matters. No. 5 Sony has traditionally been a favorite among quality seekers, with the company ranking right behind Intel and Canon, as far as quality scores ago. In fact, its ranking among the top 22 electronics brands, in terms of quality, remained exactly the same as the year-ago period, YouGov said. Compare that with what happened to Toyota when reports about sticky accelerator pedals and floor mats hit. Yikes.

*It pays to be a consumer electronics staple. Bose makes speakers, radios, headphones and clocks. Okay, not exactly the same, gliterrati-like sort of tech stuff that Apple makes, but sometimes—particularly now—all you need are the basics, right?

*It pays to be consumer-centric. Dell recently kicked off a global push to become “the most loved brand in the PC industry,” global CMO for consumer and small and medium businesses, Paul-Henri Ferrand, told marketing trade Brandweek last month. Ads, via Wunderman, carry the tagline, “You can tell it’s Dell,” and mark a stark contrast from the former’s (up until now) price-driven approach.

With Black Friday less than three days away, “these are the brands that people are talking about in the most positive way,” says Ted Marzilli, svp and global managing director for BrandIndex. In the end, “sales tell the tale,” though being one of the most buzzed about brands certainly helps. (There is some evidence that high buzz scores correlate with strong sales, though it’s not always the case, he adds.)

At the very least, these numbers tell marketers whether or not “they are even in the game. If you’re not in the consideration set, you don’t have a seat at the table,” he says.

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Merry Deals Offered Earlier Than Ever

Nov 19, 2010

Retailers are taking full advantage of the holiday shopping season, having rolled out ads and promotions as early as Halloween this year. Black Friday marketers, for instance, have extended the shopping window from two to three days. And when it comes to holiday retailers with the highest value scores, Target, Old Navy and Amazon lead the pack for women with children under 18, per research firm YouGov.

The Brandweek BrandIndex Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral. This week's report also measures brand value and quality.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

The report spotlights:

• Holiday retailers
• Dell
• Jim Beam


YouGov Lists Retailers With Best Value Perception
Holiday marketing is in full swing. Wal-Mart has already fired its first salvo, offering free holiday shipping for all online purchases through Dec. 20. The move prompted Macy’s, Target, and Toys"R"Us to announce similar deals.

For this list, YouGov BrandIndex examined value scores for women with children under 18—traditionally the primary purchasers of holiday gifts.

With Black Friday merely one week away, Old Navy and Target are in a virtual tie for best value perception, with Amazon not far behind. Rivals Kohl's and J.C. Penney are neck and neck, while auction kingpin eBay makes a strong showing with a score of 36, followed by Wal-Mart and Sears. Rounding out the top 10 is electronics giant Best Buy.

With the ad campaigns coming thick and fast, in the past week, Sears made the biggest leap in value with 13 points, followed by Toys"R"Us with a 12-point increase.

Dell Powers Up Global Rebranding
After losing market share to competitors and being the subject of negative online feedback regarding its customer service, Dell launched a global rebranding campaign that carries the tag: “You Can Tell It’s A Dell.”

The computer giant hired big guns for the multimillion-dollar effort: WPP Group agencies Wunderman, Schematic and Young & Rubicam, as well as outside agency Mother. Components include direct mail, e-mail marketing and social media, as well as TV, print and display advertising.

Dell’s index score—which measures overall brand health—has been gradually rising in the U.S., Germany and U.K. for adults over 18. The most pronounced jump has been in the U.S., where the score has jumped from 48.9 to 55.6 in three weeks. The campaign strengthened the U.K.’s index score, which leads the three countries, followed by Germany, where Dell's index score has fallen by a few points but has recently been trending upward.




Jim Beam's Quality Score Is On Fire
Making its move in the competitive spirits category—where Jack Daniels has long been a brand standout—Jim Beam launched an online campaign on Oct. 15, centered on its eight-year aging process. Earlier this year, the bourbon maker unveiled the “Eight Years Changes Everything” slogan for its Black Label line.

Jim Beam created a Facebook game with an accompanying Web site, Beamfire.com, which asks consumers to throw their regrets in a virtual bonfire. Site visitors can also upload images of those items they'd like to discard and earn badges or a grand prize of $8,000.

The campaign’s debut coincides with Jim Beam’s quality score improving much faster than the spirits sector average. Its score peaked at 77 on Nov. 8, just a tad behind Jack Daniels. Since then, both brands have moved down gradually, but Jim Beam’s quality score remains elevated.



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BrandIndex's Friday column in Brandweek: The winners in MLB post-season advertisers

Top 5 Buzz Gainers of the MLB Post-Season

Nov 5, 2010

Unlike the Super Bowl, Major League Baseball's post-season takes up a month and at least two dozen games. The very nature of the event gives advertisers an ample window to roll out campaigns—sometimes with multiple executions and substantial amounts of repetition. Research firm YouGov has created this exclusive report for Brandweek, outlining the winning brands for the playoffs, including two TV networks that provided the coverage: Fox and TBS.

Almost a dozen companies either signed official deals with MLB for the post-season or introduced new campaigns during the broadcasts. When it comes the biggest buzz gainers with adults over 18, the winner by far was one of the official sponsors, Chevrolet, which notched up 18 points in the 30 days ending Nov. 1.

Chevy's campaign debuted with the kick-off of the World Series on Oct. 27. The six Tim Allen-voiced spots all followed the “Chevy Runs Deep” theme, and promoted new vehicles, such as the Cruze and the Volt.

Two credit card brands also made the top five: MasterCard gained eight buzz points as the “preferred card of Major League Baseball,” touting 20% off all MLB gear. Meanwhile, Visa climbed four points with a co-branded campaign with Bank of America, and it got prime sponsorship visibility at the home of the San Francisco Giants, AT&T Park.

DirecTV’s most highly visible commercial during the post-season drew up a new battlefront—not with another satellite dish company or FiOS, but with Netflix. The spot spells it all out for consumers: “DirecTV’s got them. Straight from the theater to your living room… one month before Netflix.”

During the month of October, DirecTV made great strides to close the buzz score gap with Netflix. DirecTV zoomed from 30.4 on Oct. 1 to 58.6 by the end of the month. Netflix had been hovering in the high 80s most of that time, except for Oct. 15, when it briefly slid down to 70.



Another official sponsor, Geico, rounded out the list by edging up three points thanks to a series of value-focused ads.

Advertisers weren't the only ones to benefit from the post-season exposure; the broadcast networks did too. At the beginning of October, Fox, TBS and ESPN were within the 28-31 range in their impression scores (a general positive feeling about a brand). As the playoffs progressed, Fox and TBS broke away from ESPN.

Fox peaked on Oct. 20 with a score of 36.7 and TBS cruised at 41 for a few days. ESPN, however, remained in that initial 28-31 range. Leading up to the World Series finale, all three networks appeared to be closing the big gap between them.



The Brandweek BrandIndex Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

BrandIndex's Friday column in Brandweek: Dining Chains, Taco Bell and Long John Silver's

YouGov Names Top 10 Restaurant Chains

Oct 21, 2010

Since Labor Day, consumers have seen new campaigns and promotions crop up to replace summer marketing efforts, per YouGov. Below is a look at the 10 major dining brands, which have moved the buzz score needle the most in the past 30 days with adults over 18.

The Brandweek BrandIndex Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral. This week's report also measures quality and value.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

The report spotlights:

• Top 10 restaurants
• Taco Bell
• Long John Silver’s


Top 10 Dining Brands Named
Applebee’s stands out from competitors, when it comes to a restaurant brand that has improved its buzz score the most. Applebee's benefited from sponsoring “back-to-school” nights with contests and prizes. It also announced its third annual “Thank a Soldier Day”—another effort that resonated well with consumers.

Meanwhile, Whataburger held a month-long search to find the chain’s biggest fans, followed by a menu expansion with a chocolate brownie pie. And with football season in full swing, Hooters was out promoting its chicken wings as a lure for large groups.




Taco Bell Catches Up to Peers
Taco Bell’s introduction of street food-inspired Cantina Tacos at participating stores in early August significantly improved its quality scores from early August through the third week of September.

The Mexican QSR sector normally averages in the single digits when it comes to quality. Taco Bell had been scoring in negative numbers since April, bottoming out at -14 in the middle of June. However, since Taco Bell’s new menu items debuted in August, its quality score for men 18- 49 rose and reached positive territory through the end of September. The chain’s single-digit scores were inline with the rest of the sector.

Then Taco Bell launched the MLB playoffs campaign featuring Yankees general manager Joe Girardi and closer Mariano Rivera. The effort has been unable to keep the chain's score afloat since the post-season began. Taco Bell’s quality scores recently started sagging down to -2.1.




Long John Silver’s Pushes Value to Families
The $10 price point has become a battleground for dining chains, notably Pizza Hut, which has been offering any pizza for that price. Seafood chain Long John Silver’s has joined the fray with a two-week “$10 Family Pack” promotion on Oct. 10, targeting families of four.

Long John Silver’s is even throwing in a free dessert, along with eight pieces of Alaskan whitefish, a family-size order of coleslaw, and 12 pieces of hushpuppies, as part of the $10 deal. The catch? Consumers must provide a competing pizza chain coupon (including fellow Yum! brand Pizza Hut).

The Long John Silver’s promo impacted its value score among adults with kids under 18 almost immediately. Leading up to the promotional period, value scores jumped from negative numbers to 7.5.

BrandIndex's Friday column in Brandweek: Facebook, Gap and TBS

'The Social Network' Effect

Oct 15, 2010

Despite the controversial depiction of founder Mark Zuckerberg, The Social Network dramatically boosted Facebook's consumer impression (general positive feeling) with adults 18 to 34, per research firm YouGov. TBS' perception also got a lift, as the network continued to promote Major League Baseball playoffs. Meanwhile, Gap's buzz score suffered a steep drop, soon after the retailer changed its logo, and later reverted to the old one.

The Brandweek BrandIndex Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral. This week's report also measures impression.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

The report spotlights:

• Facebook
• Gap
• TBS


'The Social Network' Lifts Facebook
Adults 18 to 34—more than any other age bracket—gave Facebook a major impression lift, following the release of The Social Network. Older consumers, however, have reacted differently. For the 50 and over demo, The Social Network had a decisive negative impact. Here’s a look at how the movie affected each demo bracket:

Adults 18-34: More than doubled Facebook's impression score (originally 23.5) between Sept. 22 and Oct. 6. By the movie's opening day on Oct. 1, the score rose to 46.4, and then inched up some more to 51.5 almost a week later.

Adults 35-49: Created minor impression score growth, but showed indecision before and after the movie opened. After rising 10 points from Sept. 22 through the end of the month, this demo's impression score downshifted several points. It then rebounded after the movie opened and settled at a score of 35 on Oct. 6.

Adults 50-plus: Already trending in the low 20s, the Facebook brand declined to 13.7 by Sept. 28 among this group. The impression score increased a few points by Oct. 1, but is now back to 20.




Gap Loses Buzz
Gap’s unveiling of a new logo has sent its buzz score with adults over 18 nosediving.

While retailers’ buzz scores often zigzag due to sales and ad campaigns, Gap took a distinct sharp turn downwards from 11. 7 to 5.5 on Oct. 4, the day the company proposed a new logo on its Web site. After sharing the logo on its Facebook page, the retailer received backlash from consumers.

Even though Gap had reverted to its old logo on Oct. 11, its buzz score did not bounce back and dropped lower from 4.9 to 3.3.




TBS Scores With Men 18-49
Nearly two weeks of nonstop MLB playoffs—sometimes as often as three games a day—and promotions on Conan O’Brien’s talk show, have boosted TBS' perception score with men 18 to 49.

From Sept. 1 through Oct. 6, the network's buzz score for the demo shot up 10 points from 11.9 to 21.8. The score then dropped a few points and regained momentum, ending at 18.6 on Oct. 11.

Place AARP Media Sales/JD Power survey in Brandweek, Edmunds.com, The Car Connection

Adults Over 50 Dominate Car Purchases

Sept 27, 2010

- Elena Malykhina

When it comes to car purchases, adults over 50 surpass younger consumers. In fact, this demographic is responsible for three out of five new car acquisitions, according to a report by AARP Media Sales, in conjunction with J.D. Power and Associates.

Sixty two percent of adults over 50 currently account for new vehicle acquisitions, compared to two years ago, when they accounted for 50 percent. The number is even higher for hybrid sales. Adults over 50 make up 73 percent of hybrid purchases.

Out of the 39 car brands measured in the study—which examined the media habits and profiles of more than 41,000 new vehicle buyers—32 credited the bulk of their sales to consumers over 50 years of age.

As a comparison, car sales were down 36 percent in 2009 versus 2008. And, according to the study, adults 18-49 were responsible for 71 percent of this drop.

"The primary reasons for this escalation is the huge population of baby boomers turning 50 and their ability to spend on higher-ticket items during harsh economic times. [Meanwhile] younger adults are moving back home to ease basic financial burdens, such as housing and food," said AARP Media Sales research director Mark Bradbury.

Additionally, the study found that 33 percent of adults over 50 pay cash for their cars, compared to 13 percent of consumers under 50. Consumers over 65 are also an increasingly important demo for carmakers. Nearly 24 percent of new vehicles are purchased by adults aged 65 and older, which is nearly double (12.7 percent) compared to 2001.




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Car Buyers Shop Online, Wear Out Their Old Vehicles and Are Increasingly Over 50

Car buyers today shop online first, buy a car because they need one and are likely to be over 50. And those over-50s dig hybrids, accounting for 73 percent of their sales. That's the portrait emerging from two recent surveys, one by Chrome Systems, which looked at buyer research and purchasing behavior, and the other from AARP Media Sales and JD Power, which looked at the age of car buyers.

In the Chrome survey, 83 percent of respondents said they were likely to shop for a vehicle online before making a purchasing or leasing decision. Those researching vehicles on manufacturer and dealer websites cited price and preferred equipment selection as the leading factor in purchase decisions. Fewer respondents said they purchased or leased a vehicle simply because they wanted something new: just 21 percent in 2010, down from 32 percent in 2009. The No. 1 reason cited for purchasing or leasing a new vehicle was that the respondent's current vehicle was unreliable or broken down (26 percent, up from 19 percent in 2009).

Brand loyalty is fading, with consumers saying they are less likely to want to purchase the same brand of car they previously owned (35 percent in 2010 versus 39 percent last year). Dealer loyalty is also increasingly a thing of the past: Only 24 percent said they selected a dealer because they or someone they knew had previously purchased or leased from that dealer. That's down from 37 percent in 2009.

The AARP-J.D. Power survey held a few surprises for anyone who thinks the 50-plus crowd isn't interested in buying cars -- or in buying hybrids. According the survey (as reported in Brandweek), 62 percent of adults over 50 currently account for new vehicle acquisitions, compared to two years ago, when the over-50s accounted for half of the new car purchases.
The percentage is even higher for hybrid sales. Adults over 50 make up 73 percent of hybrid purchases.

The shift toward older buyers is the product of the huge baby boom generation (those born between 1946 and 1964). Baby Boomer Headquarters estimates that 75.8 million people were born in that period, and in 2010 alone, 4 million of them are turning 50. It's also a group that has money to spend on higher-ticket items during tough economic times, AARP Media Sales research director Mark Bradbury told Brand Week. Older-buyer dominance is likely to continue. In 2010, 40.2 million people in the U.S. are 65 or older. By 2050, that figure will double to 88.5 million, according the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Shoppers Over 50 Account For Most New Car Purchases

By Richard Read Reporter September 28th, 2010

Car shopping

Ever since Baby Boomers came of age in the late 1950s and 60s, America has been obsessed with youth culture. Each week, it seems there's a new report talking about the spending power of Millennials or Tweens or some new, even younger demographic. But when it comes to cars, young people are just kid stuff: according to a new study from AARP Media Sales and J.D. Power and Associates, it's the 50+ crowd that really spends the dough.

The data from that study (see below) reveals some very interesting news. At first glance, we see that shoppers 50 and older account for a whopping 62.5% of all new car sales. That in itself is impressive, but doubly so when you consider that just ten years ago, that same demographic accounted for less than 39% of new cars sold. That's a surge of over 20% in nine years. What's more, a huge chunk of that is due to the 65+ crowd, who make nearly 24% of new car purchases.

Chart from AARP Media Sales, in conjunction with J.D. Power and Associates

At the other end of the scale, shoppers under 35 used to account for almost 25% of showroom sales, but today, that figure has slipped to 12.7%. Even the highly coveted 35 - 49 year-old segment -- the demographic characterized by growing families and high earning potential -- has slid to less than 25% of marketshare.

All this goes to show who's fared well during the economic downturn and who hasn't. While many younger Americans don't have the income or reserves to spend on a new ride, older shoppers are capable of laying cash on the barrelhead. (We mean that literally: the study found that 33% of buyers over 50 paid for their cars in cash.)

Of course, there are a few sticking points with the study. For one, the study was carried out in part by AARP Media Sales, which is part of the AARP family, which depends on the 50+ market. Proving the potency and value of older Americans is pretty much the AARP's job description, so to see the AARP put together a study proving the potency and value of older shoppers...well, it's to be expected.

Also, there's no word on how many 50+ adults are buying cars for their kids -- though even in those cases, it's still the adults who are doing the buying. (Mary Kate and Ashley may have some say in the color of the twin MINIs that mommy buys them, but she's the one signing her name on the dotted line.) The figures might also shift somewhat if the study were re-done with used car sales, but for now, the 50+ crowd is tops.

BrandIndex's Friday column in Brandweek: chicken wings, Southern Comfort & beer

Chicken Wing Chains Battle Over Football Fans

Oct 8, 2010

Looks like chicken wings are the unofficial food of the football season, supported by the numerous promotions recently launched by restaurant chains. In its latest report, YouGov examined the satisfaction scores of three wing chains since early August, zeroing in on men 18 to 49.

The Brandweek BrandIndex Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral. This week's report also measures satisfaction (whether consumers are pleased with a brand) and index (overall indicator of brand health).

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

The report spotlights:

• Budweiser
• Chicken wing chains
• Southern Comfort


Wing Chains Step Up Marketing Efforts
According to the National Chicken Council, 1.25 billion wings were consumed during the last Super Bowl weekend. So it's easy to see why restaurant chains have started marketing more aggressively to football fans.

Buffalo Wild Wings rolled out its “Pick’em Challenge” to predict NFL game results. Meanwhile, Southern chain Krystal introduced Game Time Wings as a permanent menu item and set out on a six-city sampling tour. Then there's Hooters, which promotes its wings all year long.

BWW ended August with scores in the 60s and 70s—well ahead of its rivals. But the chain has since tumbled significantly. In mid-September, BWW crossed paths with the surging satisfaction scores of Krystal. Krystal is the success story of the football season, propelling itself out of negative satisfaction scores in August (as low as -9.8) to its current score of 36.

At present, BWW has bounced modestly to a score of 46.3, just ahead of Krystal. Hooters began August leading Krystal with a 23.6 score, but has tapered off during the past two months and is now standing at 12.8.




Bud 'Happy Hour' Giveaway Disappoints
Anheuser Busch’s free Budweiser giveaway on Sept. 29, as part of a “National Happy Hour” promotion, didn't help the brand's perception. Budweiser barely moved its index score (which measures quality, value, reputation, satisfaction, impression and willingness to recommend) for adults 21-29.

The lack of sizzle is a snapshot of the perception issues facing large beer brands such as Budweiser, Coors and Miller—all tracking at zero or below zero when it comes to index scores. Bud sales were down 9 percent last year and are expected to stay the same this year.

Bucking the trend are the craft and niche beers, which may not have the massive distribution as the larger brands, but their marketing tactics have earned them high index scores in the prized male demo. For example, Samuel Adams and Dos Equis have been hovering in the 50s and 30s index range, respectively. Both took 10-point jumps once football season began.




Southern Comfort Returns to TV
Brown-Forman’s Southern Comfort rolled out its first TV campaign in two years, promoting a new lime liqueur brand and reintroducing the name to its target 21-24 demo. The 15-second spots appeared on many male-focused networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, Spike and Comedy Central, as well as on entertainment networks. In addition to TV, Southern Comfort launched digital, social media and in-store ads.

So far, the campaign seems be catching on. Southern Comfort’s buzz score for adults 21-24 jumped from zero in early September to 11.9 in October. The brand surpassed the spirits sector average by mid-September.

Brandweek weekly column for BrandIndex: Soda wars, Yahoo, Target

Soda Brands Lose Fizz

Sept 3, 2010

With summer coming to an end, the buzz scores of the major soda brands have cooled off as well. Research firm YouGov attributes the drop to U.S. consumers' growing focus on healthier beverages.

The Brandweek BrandIndex Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral. This week's report also examines whether consumers would recommend a brand to others.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.

The report spotlights:

• Soda brands
• Yahoo
• Target


Summer Soda Wars
The scores of soda brands with the highest buzz dipped modestly over the past 12 weeks, compared to the previous three months. The drop is most likely due to Americans growing more health conscious and Michelle Obama’s obesity campaign. Only one brand registered a positive tick: Dr. Pepper.

The top four brands -- Coca Cola, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi and Sprite -- remain perched in the same spots, compared to three months ago. Mug Root Beer and Sunkist also stayed put in the ninth and tenth slots, respectively. However, there have been small movements elsewhere: A&W and Canada Dry edged up a spot, while 7UP and Mountain Dew slipped one each.




Yahoo Powers Up Marketing
All summer long, Yahoo turned up the marketing for adults 18-34, and succeeded in matching Google’s recommend score by the end of August. Focusing on partnerships to generate traffic -- including recent deals with Microsoft (for search), Twitter and Gannett -- Yahoo has reached its highest recommend score since the beginning of the year.

Yahoo soared from a 52.6 score on June 1 to a current score of 83.9. During the same period, Google cooled down in the stratosphere, going from a 94.6 score, and settling at 84.7.




Target Buzz Plummets
Target itself in political hot water in early August when it was revealed that it donated $150,000 to MN Forward, a group that supports gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, who has aligned himself with radical anti-gay groups. Despite CEO Gregg Steinhafel’s Aug. 5 apology on the company's site, Target lost one-third of its buzz score in the course of 10 days.

Although Target’s score recovered modestly from Aug. 12 through Aug. 24, it sunk again due to a rash of major newspaper op-eds, blog posts and publicity surrounding televised boycott ads from MoveOn PAC.

Weekly Brandweek column for BrandIndex: Foods and beverages

YouGov Names Top Food/Beverage Brands

Aug 6, 2010

With summer in full swing, the buzz scores of beverage brands are also hot, driven by consumer need to quench their thirst. Overall in 2010, however, Ritz remains the most popular snack brand, and Subway steals the spotlight as the quick service restaurant that offers the most value to consumers, according to market research firm YouGov.

The Brandweek BrandIndex Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz: The scores are based on weighing positive and negative perceptions of a brand. A +100 score is positive, a -100 score is negative, and a rating of zero means that the score is neutral. This week's report also measures brands based on value.

YouGov interviews 5,000 people each weekday from a representative U.S. population sample. Respondents are drawn from an online panel of 1.5 million individuals.


Hot Weather Equals Hot Brands
Record July heat played right into the hands of savvy marketers. For the second month in a row, beverage brands dominated the rankings of the most improved buzz scores.

In July, four of the top 10 brands made up this sector: Country Time Lemonade, V8 juices, Crystal Light (a repeat winner), and Bacardi.

On the dining front, both Quiznos—which launched a new campaign featuring singing cats—and Long John Silver landed on the chart as well.

Most Favored Snacks of 2010
Ritz is the most favored snack brand so far this year, both, among adults over 18 and 18-34. There is roughly a 20-point gap between Ritz and the no. 10 brand on each chart (see below), indicating true consumer love for the crackers.

There is a lot of brand crossover preferences between the demographics, with some notable exceptions: Pringles, Kettle Chips, and especially Sunchips are heavily favored by the 18-34 crowd, while Fritos and Cheetos rate higher with adults over 18. Sunchips, Ritz and Wheat Thins dominate the 18-34 demo chart.

(This special chart was created with BrandIndex’s Index score, which averages the sub-scores of quality, satisfaction, value, impression, recommend and reputation.)

Top Fast Food Chains (by Value) of 2010
2010 has been the year of the submarine, led by the outstanding scores of Subway. Consumers over 18 have given this category the best value perception readings of all QSR sectors—consistently around a 45 score.

At the same time, the burger chains' value score average has slid from 42 to 38, opening up a gap between the burger chains and the sandwich chains. Overall, modest gains by McDonald’s and Hardee’s were not enough to offset negative numbers from Backyard Burgers, Krystal and Carl’s Jr.

Two food sectors, however, have shown plenty of value perception gains this year. Pizza, which has logged several points since early February, led the sector with Domino’s and Pizza Hut. Meanwhile, Mexican, which slid five points through March and April, has rebounded to place just ahead of the pizza sector.

Chicken chains, such as Boston Market and KFC, have hardly moved the value score needle so far this year.