Flying in the face of the apparent turbulence present in the local car manufacturing industry, Toyota was today rated as the most reputable company in the nation according to the 2013 Corporate Reputation Index released by AMR and the Reputation Institute.
Knocking Apple Australia off the number one spot (Apple fell to five), Toyota has peaked in first position for the first time in the Index’s existence. It is quite the achievement for Toyota Australia who announced a $13.2 million loss after tax in June 2011.
Other automotive companies ranked well, with Mazda rising two places to rank 8th this year, Holden 10th and Ford Australia leapfrogging the competition by 12 places to rank 20th overall.
“While there may have been recalls, doubts cast over financial performance, staff layoffs and other issues facing the car industry in Australia, most people admire the fact that the companies are still here, and still operating in the local market,” says AMR’s managing director, Oliver Freedman.
Surprisingly, two of the nation’s big banks, Commonwealth and NAB, both rose significantly in reputation with Commonwealth up 21 places to rank 27th overall, and NAB jetting up the list 16 places to sit at 38th this year.
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank was ranked highest of the banks, coming 12th overall.
Westpac dropped six places to 52nd and ANZ fell nine places to rank 58th out of 60 companies measured in 2013.
“For many years, the Australian public have believed all four major banks are ‘the same’ but this year we have seen two – CBA and NAB – really separate themselves from other major players,” says Freedman.
“Interesting to note that these banks have undertaken significant communication programs and there is the perception that they have implemented real improvements in their products and service,” he adds.
Meanwhile Apple Australia’s reputation decline has more to do with how Australians view Apple’s products, its openness and transparency, and financial performance, says Freedman.
“While Apple may have initially differentiated itself in the local marketplace through true innovation, many of its more recent product launches have veered on the edge of novelty; simply updates on existing technology.”
Electronics were strong with JB HI-FI and The Good Guys in the top 10 with Air New Zealand again a surprise at 11 and the improvements in reputation for both Fairfax and News Limited a testament to their move into the digital age.
Marcomms agency MercerBell has moved to differentiate itself from the market by establishing a standalone data planning and analytics consultancy called ngage.
The new arm of the business is understood to be working with Toyota, BT Financial Group and Nestlé to help the companies meet the challenges posed by ‘big data’.
An oft-cast-around buzzterm, ‘big data’ encompasses data collection and storage infrastructure, the generation of insights from the data and using the data to tailor interaction with customers. It’s one of the main challenges marketers are facing in the current landscape, according to a study by the CMO Council in August. The same study also predicted that by 2017 CMOs will outspend CIOs on information technology.
Group CEO of MercerBell, Nick Mercer says the increasing demand for data services warranted the launch of ngage as a standalone business.
“We have been monitoring the trends around data for many years and started looking seriously at what sort of data company was needed in this market,” Mercer says. “ngage is the result of a lot of research and talking to CEOs, leading marketers and business leaders to ensure we chose the right model.”
The hype around ‘big data’, Mercer adds, has contributed to a lot of confusion in the market, as well as fear, rather than helping companies to find what questions they need to ask about data and the right people to ask.
Data analytics executive Carl Oldham will sit at the helm of the new agency.
Toyota, Johnson & Johnson and Honda are the greenest brands in the world, according to Interbrand’s ‘Best Global Green Brands 2012’ report, while no Australian brands rated among the top 50 for green credentials.
The report, which uses consumer research and environmental practice performance data provided by Deloitte to arrive at its conclusions, found that most industries around the world are taking steps to sustainability and their degree of external reporting, with automotive and technology brands leading the pack.
Global CEO of Interbrand, Jez Frampton says sustainability is now proving to be a strategic and profitable aspect of business and a brand-strengthening asset. “It is crucial that consumers’ impressions of a brand are in close alignment with that brand’s actual environmental performance. Otherwise, a brand’s efforts in this area could serve as an under-utilised asset, or, conversely, suffer due to accusations of ‘greenwashing.’”
Toyota maintains the number one spot in the rankings this year. The manufacturer’s original Prius model, the primary launch pad for Toyota’s green image, has recently been expanded to encompass an entire family of sustainable automobiles, including the company’s first plug‐in model.
Seven other automotive brands appear in this year’s top 50, with three more ranking in the top 10 – Honda, in third spot, Volkswagen in fourth and BMW in tenth. Ford (15th), Mercedes‐Benz (16th), Hyundai (17th), and Nissan (21th) also performed well. Investment in developing and marketing fuel-efficient and alternative fuel vehicles appears to be paying off for the auto sector, which made gains both in terms of performance and consumer perceptions for their green practices.
Leading technology brands are also spearheading efforts to reduce their environmental impact. Panasonic jumped four spots this year to sixth position on the back of a range of energy management systems, including the conversion of a former factory site in Fujisawa near Tokyo into a ‘Sustainable Smart Town’.
The top risers on this year’s list included Danone, Ford, Starbucks, and UPS. FMCG brand Danone, ranked ninth, improved its green credentials by committing to reducing its carbon footprint by 30% by the end of 2012. Ford, in 15th spot, made significant improvement in its environmental performance around both its operations, as well as its approach to transparent engagement and disclosure on its activities and its environmental impact. Starbucks (36th) and UPS (43rd) improved their overall ranking the most in this year’s report, both moving up six spots from where they ranked in 2011.
The United States, Germany and Japan emerged as the homes of the most green brands. This year’s list included 22 brands manufactured and managed in the United States, including Johnson & Johnson (2nd), Hewlett‐Packard (5th), Dell (7th), Cisco (11th), and 3M (12th). Japan and Germany each produced seven of the top 50, thanks to their technology and automotive success.
Love may not have been a word used to describe feelings towards Qantas at the end of last year, but the union squabble and consequent grounding of the airline appear to have done nothing to quell Australia’s love affair with the brand.
A study conducted by Square Holes research places Qantas as the fourth ‘most loved’ brand in Australia, up two places since 2010. However, while it remains one of the most loved brands, rival airline Virgin is closing the gap, having broken into the top 10 for the first time to place ninth on the list.
The study, which used focus groups, an online survey of 1,000 Australians and ethnography approaches to arrive at its conclusions, names Apple as the nation’s most loved brand. Cadbury rose up the rankings steeply to come in at second place, while Holden held steady in third spot.
The online survey, which determines the brand ranking by asking participants to nominate their favourite brands without prompting, may be susceptible to sudden changes if certain brands have engaged in particularly memorable or large ad campaigns, making them top of mind during the survey process.
Also in the top 10 of Square Holes’ ‘Make Love Not War’ ranking was Toyota at number five, Sony, which dropped from first place to sixth, Ford at number seven, Samsung at number eight and Coca-Cola at number 10.
Telstra and Optus which appeared in the top ten previously are no longer on the list.
Square Holes Managing Director Jason Dunstone says the most loved brands in Australia share two common traits – authenticity and relevance. “The research found brands with these traits sit most comfortably within the context of Australians’ busy lives and passions,” Dunstone says.
“It’s interesting to note that each of the top ten brands were perceived to have better products than their competitors but their communication, service and advertising are viewed as being the same standard.”
Australians are driven by connection with the people in their lives and new experiences, the research found, leaving less room for aspirational brands. “The top brands are seen by Australians to be supporting them along this path and are brands whose products they use regularly and form part of their daily lives,” Dunstone adds. “No aspirational brands like Aston Martin or Rolex made the list – perhaps a sign of the times.”
The research also found that Australians are most likely to engage with loved brands through their website, closely followed by Facebook. Most people would not engage through Twitter or an app.
However, when it comes to purchasing they move offline and still prefer the personal experience of buying products from the top brands in store, with four in five (78%) expressing this preference despite growing levels of online shopping.
Apple is the strongest corporate brand in Australia, according to a new study, which ranks Telstra as the biggest climber and Qantas as one of the biggest losers over the past year.
AMR’s ‘2012 Corporate Reputation Index’, developed in conjunction with the Reputation Insititute, ranks brands based on seven key drivers of reputation: products and services, innovation, workplace, citizenship, governance, leadership and financial performance.
Apple came out on top of the rankings, taking out the top spot for all attributes apart from citizenship where it ranked third. Leader for the past two years, JB Hi-Fi, placed third in 2012’s rankings, while Australia Post, Toyota and Nestle rounded out the top five.
Telstra was the biggest mover on the list, jumping 15 places to rank 45th on the back of greatly improved performance innovation and products and services.
Qantas dropped 18 places (from seventh in 2011 to 25th in 2012), while competitor Virgin Australia cracked the top 10, climbing from 13th place to sixth on the back of strong performance in governance.
According to general manager of AMR, Oliver Freedman, Qantas’ reputation recovered substantially from the initial impact of the last year’s grounding, but there was still substantial distance to travel to return to the levels of February 2011. “The brand has clearly regained some ground and the results indicate Australians still have a relatively strong emotional connection with the Qantas brand,” Freedman says.
Reputational recovery was evident for David Jones over the past year, boosting the department store’s from 25th to 14thplace, a ranking still below its eight place in 2010. Rival Myer maintained its edge, placing ninth in the rankings.
“One of the big challenges facing David Jones going forward are perceptions around its ability to innovate, ranking 31th of the 60 companies,” Freedman comments.
Murdoch’s News of the World debacle clearly did nothing to enhance News Limited’s reputation at home with the company ranking 59th overall and in last place on governance.
“Mishandling of crises has an immediate flow on effect in any reputation ranking,” Freedman adds. “News Limited’s inability to quash the media discussion and ongoing public debate is evident in the results.”
However, its competitor, Fairfax Media, also recorded a drop in Reputation (from 48th to 56th) and decreased across most reputation dimensions including leadership, financial performance, workplace and governance.
Freedman attributes the results of the two media companies as an indication of how the entire media industry is now viewed following the News of the World fallout. The industry’s reputation has taken a hit with the two major players both dropping significantly in rankings,” said Freedman.
Produced each year by research consultancy AMR, the Reputation Index surveys nearly 60002 Australians aged 18-64 scoring the country’s 60 top companies (based on revenue in BRW’s top 1000 listing), and ranks them accordingly.
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The roll call for Super Bowl ad slots has been finalised, and doesn’t disappoint with a who’s who of American pop culture including Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Matthew Broderick, The Pussycat Dolls, supermodel Adriana Lima, Donald Trump and David Beckham.
Super Bowl 2012’s commercial break entertainment will be characterised by dogs, almost 20 separate car-related ads and first-time showings from auto brands Acura and Lexus. Also making an appearance is tax-prep software 2nd Story, real estate giant Century 21, yogurt maker Dannon and retail clothing chain H&M.
Old stalwarts Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, CareerBuilder, E*Trade, Go Daddy, Mars and Volkswagen are reported to have booked spots for the big game also.
The game’s exclusive beer advertiser, Anheuser-Busch, is dedicating the first two of its six Super Bowl ads to Bud Light Platinum, a new higher alcohol line extension aimed at younger, urban drinkers who have abandoned beer for spirits, according to AdAge.
Coke is bringing back the polar bears and taking a contextual approach this year, deciding which ad to run in its second-quarter slot once it sees which team is winning.
The pre-released videos below include full ads, teaser spots for what will be 30 second ads, and extended versions, such as the Star Wars dog choir which will not even be in Volkswagen’s ad (The actual ad is top secret, with the company under pressure to outdo it’s wildly popular ‘The Force’ from last year).
Ed’s note: In a first for Marketing this edition of the Top10 features 13 items (It’s best not to over-think these things).
Acura
Agency: rp&, Los Angeles
This extended version of Acura’s 60-second spot features Jerry Seinfeld and a cameo by Jay Leno. Seinfeld is trumped by Leno at the last minute, in his attempts to bribe a man who’s ahead of him on the waiting list for an Acura NSX.
Audi
Agency: Red Tettemer + Partners, Philadelphia
This teaser spot introduces a 30-second ad for real estate giant Century 21 that will air in the third quarter. Starring Donald Trump, Deion Sanders and Apolo Ohno, it will sing praises to the skill of Century 21’s agents.
Century 21
Agency: Red Tettemer + Partners, Philadelphia
This teaser spot introduces a 30-second ad for real estate giant Century 21 that will air in the third quarter. Starring Donald Trump, Deion Sanders and Apolo Ohno, it will sing praises to the skill of Century 21’s agents.
Coca-Cola
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Oregon
The first Coca-Cola ad of the night, featuring two polar bears barracking for opposing teams, is reported to be airing in the first quarter. It will be followed by one of two different 60-second commercials in the second quarter, depending on which team has the upper hand.
Doritos
Agency: None (consumer-generated)
Doritos’ ad was taken from the top-voted out of five finalists in the brand’s ‘Crash the Super Bowl’ contest.
General Motors
Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, and Fallon, Minneapolis
The above ad preview for the Chevy Camaro will accompany another spot for the Cadillac ATS sport sedan.
Go Daddy
And:
Agency: In-house
Go Daddy has a very clear target market. Two 30-second ads are expected to run, one starring a naked woman being painted with body paint (which concludes by directing viewers to the uncensored online version) and the other starring the Pussycat Dolls. The messaging promotes .co domains.
H&M
Agency: In-house
Apparently women are still the underwear purchasers in American relationships. Starring David Beckham and his Bodywear collection for H&M, this commercial is expected to air during the second quarter.
Honda
Agency: RPA, Santa Monica, California
At 2:25, the extended version of Honda’s 60-second ad for the fourth quarter is rather long. The ad stars Honda’s CR-V compact crossover and Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller.
Samsung
Agency: 72andsunny, Los Angeles
This teaser spot for the tech company’s Super Bowl spot seeks to introduce the phrase ‘You’ve been Samsunged!’ into the public’s vocabulary. Two spots are reported to be booked, one plugging the Galaxy S II and the other knocking Apple’s iPhone.
Skechers
Agency: Siltanen & Partners, El Segundo, California
Skechers have dropped Kim Kardashian for a dog. The 30-second spot puts a French bulldog in sneakers to outrun some greyhounds at a dog track.
Toyota
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles
Toyota is running two 30-second slots for the 2012 Camry. They feature a reinvention theme, developing the concept by showing improved versions of people and things, such as ‘the reinvented police officer – he’s also a masseuse’.
Volkswagon
Agency: Deutsch, Los Angeles
This teaser spot features a canine chorus in follow-up to Volkswagen’s runaway 2011 Super Bowl success, ‘The Force’. The actual 60-second ad will not feature the canine chorus, but will be dog-themed to promote the 2012 Beetle.
A new study by Millward Brown has confirmed what many social media marketers have been saying for a long time: consumers prefer brands that act like friends, not brands.
The study by Millward Browns social media research network Firefly found that although most organisations recognise the potential and importance of social media, there is confusion about the rules of engagement and a lack of organisational support and confidence. As a result, many stay away from social media, or jump in without fully understanding the impact on their brand.
The study also highlighted the need for brands to earn trust. Respondents revealed their dislike of brands and companies that talk at them in social media and their desire for brands to have a ‘human face’ and behave more like a friend than a company. Consumers also expressed concern that marketers will turn social media from a community into a marketplace.
Pamela Ingall, Director of Firefly Millward Brown in Australia, said: “Australian and global brands are still coming to grips with social media and many are worried their brand is not cool enough or will attract negative chatter. However, as this research has shown, there are clear rules of engagement for brands in social media. Trust is key and brands need to listen to what consumers have to say and be open and honest about their products and services. As the balance of power shifts to consumers, brands who successfully engage through social media are rewarded with loyal consumers who endorse and defend their favoured brands.”
Firefly Millward Browns recommendations for brands using social media
Don’t recreate your homepage in social media — consumers want to see something new, fresh or different from brands – not a rehash of the same information they can get on the brand’s official website.
Listen first, then talk: create a dialogue — by far one of the biggest issues consumers have – or anticipate – with brands is that they will simply talk at them instead of talking with them. They want a conversation where brands listen to what they have to say.
Build trust by being open and honest — transparency is key for brands in social media and it is the most critical factor in building trust. However, consumers perceive that brands would rather hide behind policies and procedures than admit to their failings or shortcomings.
Give your brand a face — brands often suffer in social media because they don’t have anyone that answers to the consumer, a face for the brand. This prevents many consumers from actively engaging with companies in social media.
Offer something of value — consumers are more likely to respond to brands that offer them something real and tangible, preferably without wanting something in return. While discounts and coupons are in vogue for brands in social media, they can create distrust. Worthwhile and exclusive content or deals or inside information on new products and services are valued by consumers.
Be relevant — consumers want to see content that relates to their life, their interests, their desires and their needs. Interestingly, several respondents commented on the lack of relevance for brands of ‘functional’ products like detergent, fabric softener and household cleaning products within the social media universe. In social media consumers are more critical about content that isn’t deemed relevant and feel that it’s invading their space.
Talk like a friend, not a corporate entity — consumers want brands to communicate in simple, casual language that is conversational. They do not want technical or sales speak.
Give consumers some control — to operate effectively, brands must relinquish some of the control they have held for many years and be comfortable with the fact that they cannot solely dictate the message anymore. Brands that embrace consumer input and promote it will be more effective in managing the conversation.
Let consumers find you/come to you — another stark departure from traditional media campaigns, consumers do not want to feel that brands are ‘shouting’ messages at them. The perception is clearly that brands will use ‘intrusive’ and ‘interruptive’ advertising in social media.
Let consumers talk for you — brands achieve more kudos when consumers take the initiative and advocate them. A recent Toyota campaign, where real people talked about their stories on Facebook and were then selected to feature in a television ad, is a great example where the brand is not trying to overtly sell but is building relationships by encouraging customers to participate in conversations.
This qualitative social media study used a purpose-built private social network to conduct in-depth discussions with hundreds of people ranging from ages 18-50 and conducted in nine countries globally (Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, India, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States). Respondents were segmented into two groups: ‘Moderates’ (lighter users of social media) and ‘Mavens’ (heavier, savvier users of social media).
The world’s largest carmaker initiated a series of incentives in early March to combat the growing negative sentiment around the brand. These incentives included 0% financing on recalled models, free maintenance and lower-priced leasing.
Recalls became necessary for the brand as an accelerator pedal malfunction emerged in popular models.
The automotive industry is perhaps seeing a bounceback from lean times, with industrywide new car sales climing 23% in March, according to JD Power and Associates.
Under-fire Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has presented a letter to a US television network, demanding it apologise for falsifying a report on its vehicles.
Toyota has requested that ABC retract a report that implied that the company’s vehicles could speed out of control due to an electronics flaw related to their accelerator pedals.
“Toyota deserves a public retraction and formal apology from ABC News for your irresponsible broadcast,” Christopher Reynolds, Toyota vice president wrote in the letter.
But the broadcaster hit back, maintaining that its report was unbiased, legitimate and newsworthy.
“(Whether the tests) identified a significant problem in the design of the Toyota electronic throttle control system, or Toyota is correct in asserting that (the Southern Illinois University professor’s) tests are flawed… it was legitimate and newsworthy for ABC to report on the tests and claims,” explained a statement released by ABC.
The stoush follows a rough period for Toyota, which is continuing to face accusations that its vehicles have electrical problems that could cause danger to its occupants.
However the carmaker has increasingly fought against the claims, reiterating that it has found no problems with its electronics, its mechanical fixes are sufficient and criticised the media and other critics of rushing to judge before hearing the whole story.
Research released by Millward Brown has revealed Colgate as Australia’s most trusted and recommended brand in its TrustR report.
The report, ‘Beyond Trust: Engaging Consumers in the Post recession World’, indicates trust and recommendation (TrustR) are key ingredients to brand success, and with this metric Colgate topped the list, followed by mobile technology brand Nokia and confectionary giant Cadbury.
Across the 22 countries studied, the number one TrustR brand in each was nearly seven times more likely to be purchased and had a brand-consumer bond 10 times greater than average.
Scoring brands on recommendation alone, the Australian Top 10 is led by Lindt, Clinique and Apple iPhone, followed by Credit Unions, Moccona, Vodafone, Virgin Mobile, Colgate, Pantene Pro V, and Mazda.
“While trust is built over time, when it comes to recommending a brand, consumers tend to rely on their most recent experiences of the brand and its value proposition. The powerful combination of trust and recommendation is embodied in Colgate which, while a global brand, has adapted to the Australian market and become a clear leader,” commented Daren Poole, Millward Brown’s chief client officer.
“Interestingly, eight of the Australian TrustR Top 10 brands are global brands while Mt Franklin and Woolworths/Safeway are local brands that have successfully built a strong connection with local consumers.”
Toyota is set to up its communications activity as it faces a recall of millions of cars.
The recall is in relation to faulty accelerator pedal mechanisms, which – according to Toyota – may stick in a partially depressed position when worn down. The vehicle-maker may recall up to two million cars across Europe and is also recalling in the US and China.
As the models and exact number of affected vehicles is still under investigation, the brand intends to hold back on above-the-line communications and use digital channels until the investigation is finalised.
