BrandZ Top 100: Trends
May 6, 2009 by Ellen Ewart
Filed under Marketing
The trends identified in this year’s Millwood Brown Optimor Brandz Top 100 are VALUE, VICE, AT HOME and WIRELESS.
Value is not surprising given this economy. Though luxury brands have a great opportunity for creativity, it’s the value brands that have an easy job at capturing customers, getting that repeat business and securing their brand names. “Brands that represent good value for money have done well, this is about quality as much as price, for example Wal-Mart (+19 percent), ALDI (+49 percent) and Auchan (+48 percent). H&M (+8 percent) is now the number one apparel brand.”
The vice brands are fun to watch from the outside but I really wonder if the Malboro execs sit around the boardroom table calling themselves vice brands! According to the study, “people still reward themselves with little treats when money is tight. Brands such as McDonald’s (+34 percent), Marlboro (+33 percent) and Budweiser (+23 percent) have all done well.”
After 9-11, the home decor and renovation sectors went nuts. Suddenly, travel wasn’t the hottest holiday trend but instead, creating a warm, safe and luxurious home was top priority. Perhaps now the risk is less forefront, but certainly in tough times we tend to stay close to home. “Brands that can be experienced at home have shown strong growth. This includes home shopping: Amazon (+85 percent) and eBay (+16 percent); Coffee that can be prepared at home: Nespresso (+27 percent) and Nescafe (+23 percent); and gaming — Nintendo jumped into the ranking for the first time at no. 32.”
Wireless is definitely a trend I can speak to. Even my dial-up parents have moved into the wireless age in their home. No longer a luxury service, professionals and recreational wireless users alike demand better coverage from service providers and greater technology from their devices. “The increased popularity of using the internet on the move through devices such as the iPhone and BlackBerry has led to huge increases for the mobile operators category as a whole, driven by demand for data services. Vodafone enters the top 10 for the first time this year (+45 percent).”
What do you think of these trends? How do any of them relate to your own habits?
