Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is clinging to its previous number one place as the U.K.’s most desirable brand, according to a survey from M&C Saatchi Group, a marketing strategy consulting group.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), however, declined 38 percent in popularity due to its widely publicized tax avoidance issue, in which the search engine giant is still currently mired. The scandal has marred its image and brand perception.
Top 20 Desirable Brands: UK
Position | Brand | Year-on-year change |
1 | Apple | 1% |
2 | iPhone | 1% |
3 | Ferrari | 34% |
4 | Tiffany | 46% |
5 | Marmite | 5% |
6 | iTunes | -4% |
7 | Amazon | 1% |
8 | iPad | -23% |
9 | Cadbury’s | 26% |
10 | Dyson | 28% |
11 | Tripadvisor | New |
12 | GHD | New |
13 | Calpol | New |
14 | KitKat | 22% |
15 | Unicef | 20% |
16 | WWF | 6% |
17 | YouTube | 2% |
18 | Disney | 23% |
19 | Fairtrade | -8% |
20 | Tag Heuer | 8% |
The survey was conducted over 60,000 consumers in six countries who answered questions on more than 900 plus brands over a period three years. The survey was conducted to identify the reasons that create, finish or sustain the desire for a brand.
Apple Receives Competition From Its Own iPhone
M&C Saatchi Group’s research reports that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was at the top spot in U.K. rankings. Apple secured an increase of 1 percent to be ahead of its own iPhone brand.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and its iPhone took the top two slots, but iPad declined 23 percent in desirability and sank to the eighth spot. Samsung’s desirability surged 22 percent. In the U.S. desirability index, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) declined by 10 percent and is out of the top 20 brands club.
Other Brands In The List
In the U.K. index, value brands like Lidl (+80%), Ikea (53%) and Morrisons (+61%) surged in desirability due to ongoing “austerity” effects.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is facing the tax avoidance allegations and thus declined 38 percent in desirability and exited from the series of top 20 brands.
Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX), also facing a similar tax avoidance allegation, rose by 3 percent in desirability but lagged far behind its arch rival Costa, which climbed 70 percent in the desirability index.
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) succeeded at saving its brand desirability even after the online retailer made an appearance in front of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee following its inability to explain its tax structure. The brand desirability of Amazon inched upward 1 percent, and it remained among the top 10 brands.
Google Worst Performer
Search engine giant Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) emerged as the worst performer in the U.K. Google performed worse than BBC, which was affected by the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal and consequences after it. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has also been in the news but for the wrong reason in the past year. The company was given two chances to defend its case before the Public Accounts Committee, after being accused of complete avoidance of the U.K. corporation tax.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) was accused by the MP’s that it avoided tax by keeping its money safe in an offshore tax haven through Ireland, and that it acts in sharp contrast to its motto, “Don’t Be Evil”. The allegation was published as the front page headline in all the news dailies and was covered in television bulletins.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was also accused of similar allegations.