Tesla Edges Out Google, Amazon In Cultural Vibrancy Ranking

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Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) came put on top of strategic marketing firm Added Value’s 2014 Cultural Vibrancy List. Added Value determines a brand’s “cultural vibrancy” based on how visionary, inspiring, bold and exciting the brand is perceived to be by the public. The annual “Cultural Traction” report published by Added Values tracks changes in these four attributes over time.

Of note, brands with the greatest cultural traction tend to provide consumers with a more engaging brand experience, as well as fostering closer connections and facilitating consumers in making a meaningful impact in a variety of areas.

The 2014 Cultural Vibrancy Rankings are based on a survey of 7,500 U.S. residents regarding their opinions about over 70 brands in 14 sectors. Consumers this year apparently evaluated a brand’s cultural vibrancy by thinking about how and to what extent the brand caused them to change.

Tesla atop the 2014 Cultural Vibrancy List

Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) came in first on the 2014 list, but a number of technology brands were nipping at its heels. Google, which held the top spot in the Cultural Traction survey last year, came in second this year and Amazon was in third.

Apple is still one of the most well-known brands today, but its once dominant cultural traction has slipped  recently as the firm faces more competition. Apple was ranked fourth in this year’s survey, compared to the top spot it held four years ago. Keep in mind that the 2014 survey was conducted before the release of the iPhone 6.

A smaller brand with its first appearance on the cultural relevancy list this year is online marketplace Etsy. The rapidly growing firm has hitched its wagon to the burgeoning “maker” trend in an effort to offer a brand experience that’s more personalized and fun than eBay or other online sellers.

Statement from Added Value CEO

“Culture is constantly changing and evolving,” Added Value North America CEO Maggie Taylor commented in an interview regarding the 2014 survey. “It’s critical that brands anticipate, if not shape and drive, that change so their solutions, innovations and ideas are the most relevant and impactful.”

The top brand in this year’s Cultural Vibrancy List, Tesla, is already changing how auto buyers think about electric vehicles, and the firm has a “clear visionary” in CEO Elon Musk.

“We look at Tesla as a brand that’s ahead of its time,” Taylor noted. “Even though it’s a high-end luxury brand, it’s sort of democratized the way that people look at luxury.”

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