Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No…it is a superbrand

WHAT is it that Apple, Rolex, Lego and Nescafe all have in common?

Instant recognition as a quality standard. Leaders in their field.

They’re all consumer superbrands beloved of devoted domestic advocates across the globe.

It isn’t like they advertise themselves as superbrands is it? They don’t fly into view wearing bright red trunks over their tights. So, how do we know?

What is the bottom-line hallmark of all so-called superbrands?

Easy. Trust.

They all do what they say they’ll do. And they do it very well.

They’re not all technology companies either. Although the number of ‘smart’ firms now in the Top 20 is growing.

But Swiss luxury watchmaker Rolex has retained its place as the most respected brand in the UK for the second year running keeping Apple off the top spot, according to the annual SuperBrands report.

Apple did move up 16 places to clinch the runner-up spot following a year that saw it unveil iPhone 5 and the iPad mini. It was followed by Microsoft in third place and British Airways in fourth.

The airline was the first of six British brands to appear in the top 20, a drop on the ten that dominated last year’s list.

The list of 500, based on the opinions of more than 2,900 British adults, also included Coca-Cola in fifth and BMW in 11th with Nescafe at twentieth and Facebook at 14th.

They’re all brands that we are all hugely familiar with, of course. Familiar for the right reasons though.

Tellingly, with the current state of the High Street the subject of much national debate, Marks & Spencer is the only retailer to make the Top 20, coming in at 17th place.

That’s the problem with the High Street right now, no-one trusts it is still going to be there in a year’s time. Trust is shot for the retail sector isn’t it?

The brands that continue to thrive, certainly in consumer terms, are the ones which do what they do simply, effectively and with the minimum of fuss.

Maybe there’s a lesson in that for all of us.

Top 20 Consumer Superbrands 2013

Rolex

Apple

Microsoft

British Airways

Coca-Cola

Google

Hilton

Heathrow Airport

Kellogg’s

Mercedes-Benz

BMW

Heinz

BBC

Facebook

Lego

Disney

Marks & Spencer

BP

Dulux

 

Top 20 Business Superbrands 2013

Apple

British Airways

Google

Visa

Virgin Atlantic

IBM

Shell

Microsoft

London Stock Exchange Group

Mastercard

BP

BT

Bosch

Samsung

FedEx

Rolls-Royce Group

Royal Mail

PayPal

GlaxoSmithKline

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