If there’s one brand we seemingly can’t live without, it’s Apple. So finds Prophet in its latest “Brand Relevance Index,” as Apple takes top billing for yet another year. The report measures brands across 4 characteristics generally shared by the most relevant: customer obsession; ruthlessness; pragmatism; distinct inspiration; and pervasive innovation.
Those shared traits add up to make brands that consumers can’t live without, per the study, which surveyed more than 13,500 customers in the US about 293 brands across 27 industry categories. While actual sales don’t figure as a metric used to determine how indispensable brands are to consumers, brands were chosen for analysis according to their contribution to US household spending. Within each industry, companies with outsized growth, as well as smaller ones driving change, were included.
The 5 Most Relevant Brands
Apple retains its position as the most relevant brand to customers in the US for the 7th consecutive year. The report reveals that Apple scores higher for matters of the “head” rather than the “heart” – being cited as the “most modern brand.” The brand has also topped the most recent list of the world’s most valuable brands and has once again been the most “intimate” brand in the US.
Following Apple in the rankings is Peloton for the second consecutive year. The brand that specializes in exercise bikes and treadmills stayed pat at #2 after climbing 33 spots last year. According to the report, Peloton is the top brand for matters of the “heart” and continues to maintain “an emotional hold on subscribers.”
Moving up the rankings this year is Spotify, climbing to #3. Joe Rogan controversy aside, it’s commended for its “mind-reading A.I.” that “instinctively knows whether we’re in the mood for hard rock of smooth jazz.” Separately, eMarketer notes that Spotify overtook Apple last year as the largest US podcast platform.
Rounding out the top 5 were Bose — which ranked second overall for “head” attributes and topped all brands for “delivers a consistent experience” — and Android, which ranked almost as high as Apple in “head” scores.
Industry Leaders
Below, the top-ranking brand from select industries:
- Airlines: JetBlue (taking over from Southwest, which had taken top billing for the previous 5 years);
- Automotive: Tesla, taking over from Honda;
- Grocery and Drug Stores: Trader Joe’s, retaking the lead from Costco;
- Healthcare: Teladoc;
- Hospitality: Hilton, for the second consecutive year;
- Media & Entertainment: Spotify, for the second consecutive year;
- Restaurants: Chick-fil-A, again;
- Retailers: Amazon, again;
- Social Media & Communication: Google, for the second consecutive year; and
- Telecommunications: T-Mobile, taking the top spot from Verizon.
The full report, including further details about methodology and the top brands, can be accessed here.
About the Data: Rankings are based on a survey of more than 13,500 US customers, who rated 293 brands across 27 categories.
