The Battle of the Brands: Winners and Losers in the Culture Wars

• Added Value announces Cultural Traction 2013 Report, including the results for mainlandChina, Hong Kong and Singapore

HONG KONG, March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Added Value reveals the cultural vibrancy of 160 brands from across fifteen sectors in its third annual Cultural Traction™ 2013 report released today.

The Top Ten on a global basis are:

1. Google
2. Apple
3. Samsung
4. IKEA
5. Microsoft
6. Sony
7. BMW
8. Audi
9. Coca-Cola
10. eBay

The Cultural Traction™ 2013 report involved 62,250 respondents across ten major geographical markets: the US, mainland China, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Culturally vibrant brands are those perceived to have the most Visionary, Inspiring, Bold and Exciting (VIBE) attributes in research conducted by Added Value, the WPP-owned global brand development and marketing insight consultancy.

The global study into the impact of culture-led marketing, shows that tech brands are making the most powerful connections with consumers, accounting for six out of the top ten places in the ranking. And by achieving high levels of 'cultural traction' -- which is assessed by measuring the change in a brand's VIBE score -- these brands are ensuring they stay more relevant to consumers, thereby increasing their opportunities to achieve sustained growth.

Home Furnishing giant IKEA makes a surprise entry at number 4, ahead of luxury car brands BMW and Audi. While the top brand, Google, is less than 20 years old, Coca-Cola is clocking almost 130. Its successful ranking at number 9 indicates that age is no barrier to being a brand icon when culture is used effectively and well to connect with consumers.

Orazio Costadura, Head of Brand and Customer Management, Audi AG, says, "At Audi we are aware of the importance of continuously shaping our brand, making sure that it is culturally relevant to a high degree -- not just in Germany or Europe, but across the world including major markets like China and the US. The results of the Added Value study offer a refreshing, new perspective on how to look at brands, and give us very encouraging evidence that the direction we have chosen for Audi is working."

Lisa Bauer, Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing, Royal Caribbean International, agrees, "VIBE is transforming the way we think about our brand and allows us to look at it through a new lens and understand our position in the overall landscape of brands. The marketplace is cluttered and consumers have more choices than ever. Cultural Traction provides us with the insight to increase our cultural relevancy and lead the conversation with consumers in a meaningful way."

Worryingly for Google and Apple, their VIBE scores have slipped by 8% and 10% respectively in the US compared to last year, even though they still hold on to the top slots. Is Apple losing its shine as smartphone rival Samsung swoops in? Facebook suffered the biggest fall in VIBE score out of all the brands surveyed - down 20% - partly as a result of its troubled flotation and outcry over privacy concerns.

This year the study was conducted in mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore for the first time. Taobao, China's largest e-commerce portal, landed at number 3 with the highest VIBE score among all local brands while Apple made it to the top. Google ranked first on the list of Hong Kong's most culturally vibrant brands and food and beverage brand Vitasoy is crowned as the local champ with a spot at number 16, ahead of both Pepsi and Lipton. Canon was named second runner-up on the Singapore list, coming in behind Google and Apple.

Top Ten in mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore

Key highlights of Cultural Traction™ 2013:

Global:
Samsung on the rise. Is Apple on the wane?
Although Apple emerges ahead of Samsung in the study, leading edge consumers are picking up on Samsung's VIBE. The latter is enjoying a more consistent and stable VIBE across the globe. Apple lead in the US, Western Europe and Australia, but it's a bumpier road in Asia, which suggests a narrowing of the gap between the brands. Currently, Apple ranks ahead of Samsung by market value. Samsung ranks ahead of Apple by sales. The findings in Cultural Traction™ 2013 suggest Samsung has the greater momentum moving forward.

Coca-Cola: Still the king. How does it manage it?
Mainly due to a single-minded focus to make the world a better place by putting responsible business strategies at the heart of the brand and weaving aspects of these positive changes into their brand stories, expressed and delivered in ways that are responsive to cultural trends.

IKEA: The Best Loved Swede since ABBA?
The big blue and yellow box has built an empathetic persona around the world by focusing its offer and marketing on delivering clever small space solutions that are in tune with the struggling economic climate. It's enabling people to indulge their appetite for design and to refresh their homes by being practical, friendly and enterprising.

Mainland China:
Samsung: Ready to take a bite
Apple reigns supreme in mainland China study but watch this space because the Korean super brand is eager to take over. By continuously launching innovative products to lift up usage experience, Samsung successfully taps into consumers' emerging needs for greater self-expression -- we expect to see the gap between these two narrow significantly over the next 12 months.

Chanel versus Louis Vuitton: A French affair
Louis Vuitton lags way behind Chanel. The omnipresence of Louis Vuitton (real or counterfeit) doesn't inspire or excite as strongly as Chanel with its strategy of exclusivity - 12 stores in China compared to Louis Vuitton's 43.  The enduring power of the little black dress and the classic flap bag continue to drive success amongst a newly-affluent upper class looking to differentiate themselves from the masses. 

Adidas versus Nike: Who's going to score more?
Adidas outsprints Nike in the study - Adidas is branching out into the realm of fashion and lifestyle with the help of its Neo label, local celebrity brand ambassadors and collaborations with fashion designers. It is surely these efforts which drive Adidas up to second place, if measured purely by the Bold component of its VIBE score.

Hong Kong
The battle of the beer: Local darling or international favorite?
Blue Girl and Heineken achieved nearly the same VIBE score in two very different ways - Blue Girl tripled the media spend of Heineken in Hong Kong. Blue Girl built up grassroots excitement with its ubiquitous jingle and playful advertising, while Heineken inspired Hong Kong consumers with their premium global brand image as exemplified by a superb partner - the one and only Bond, James Bond.

Banking the VIBE for Standard Chartered Bank 
Hong Kong marathon sponsor Standard Chartered Bank is seen as more "Inspiring" than its competitor Citibank. Now in the third year of its Here for good campaign, Standard Chartered Bank continues to set up a number of local CSR initiatives to build positive momentum and connect with consumers, which is a great indicator for future growth. Maybe it's time for Citibank to step up and let others know the good works they have done for the community.

Vitasoy: Hong Kong iconic brand continues to move forward
With a 70 year history in Hong Kong, Vitasoy is one of Hong Kong's most loved brands in the 2012 Cultural Traction study.

Vitasoy has successfully found the right balance between heritage and reinvention through advertising -- clever episodic TVCs like "Vita Water is drops of 7 million people" and tie-ups with Hong Kong rappers -- and product innovation that reflects changing tastes and nutrition needs.

Singapore
Google - Leading the way through immense excitement
Considered by Singaporeans to be the most exciting brand by a mile, Google has outpaced Apple and everyone else in our overall ranking list.  Its offerings have truly struck a chord with consumers here.  It is probably also helped by the success of Samsung (which places Number 4) and its support for Android.  Google 1, Apple 0.

Canon - Inspiring snappy fingers
Canon lands in the Number 3 spot despite the serious threat of digital cameras in mobile phones.  With its recent communications and marketing efforts, it has managed to continue to inspire photographers young and old.

BMW - Gaining traction in luxury
BMW continues to shine in an increasingly important luxury market.  But Audi is breathing down its neck and Volkswagen is not very far behind too.  With a highly restrictive automotive market, the battle for the luxury car market will surely get hotter, a lot hotter.

"Today, more than ever, it is critical that brands stay apace of culture. Why? Because as much as consumers can tell you about how the world is changing, the world can often tell you a lot more about the consumers of tomorrow," says Maggie Taylor, Chief Executive of Added Value (North America). "It's one thing to be a culturally vibrant brand in one part of the world; it's another to maintain that vibrancy at high amplitude across the whole world."

Added Value's Cultural Traction™ 2013 report examines how top brands have managed to stay culturally relevant year after year, and illuminates the cultural shifts and trends propelling them.  The online study was executed by Lightspeed Research.

The Cultural Traction™ 2013 report and complete case studies can be accessed via www.added-value.com/culturaltraction

About the Cultural Traction™ 2013 study
This year's Cultural Traction™ report is Added Value's biggest quantitative study yet, involving 62,250 respondents in ten countries covering 160 brands in total and fifteen sectors (37 of the world's biggest selling brands were measured in seven or more countries). The countries or regions included were US, UK, mainland China, Brazil, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Italy and Australia. The online sample was sourced, and project executed, by Lightspeed Research.

Cultural Traction™ is assessed by measuring the change in a brand's VIBE score -- that's how Visionary, Inspiring, Bold and Exciting it is perceived to be -- over time.

For complete case studies of brands covered by Added Value's 2013 Cultural Traction™ survey, please visit: www.added-value.com/culturaltraction

About Added Value

Added Value (www.added-value.com) provides consultancy on brand development and marketing insight for iconic brands, both big and small, around the world. We help solve clients' central marketing questions about market, brand, innovation and communications with a footprint that now extends across 21 locations in 13 countries. Added Value is part of Kantar, WPP's consumer insight and consultancy division. More information is available at: www.added-value.com or blog www.added-value.com/source

About WPP

WPP is the world's largest communications services group providing a comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services, including advertising; media investment management; consumer insight; public relations and public affairs; branding and identity; healthcare communications; direct, digital, promotion and relationship marketing and specialist communications. The group employs over 165,000 people (including associates) in 3,000 offices in 110 countries.

About Lightspeed Research

Lightspeed Research is the leading provider of technology-enabled solutions and online respondents for global market research. Lightspeed Research digitally accesses and derives insight from consumer opinions and behaviors whenever, wherever and in whatever segments needed. The industry's most thorough panelist pre-screening process and large global pool delivers business-ready results quickly and cost-effectively. From proprietary online access panels to specialty panels, custom panels and innovative mobile surveys, and observed digital behavior and ad tracking, Lightspeed Research offers the industry's highest-quality and most complete combination of qualitative and quantitative online research. This is backed by an expert client operations team that provides a range of data collection services, from sample management and survey design to programming and reporting.

Part of Kantar, a division of WPP, Lightspeed Research serves clients and cultivates online panelists across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, visit www.lightspeedresearch.com and www.lightspeedresearchblog.com

Media Enquiries
Jessie Tsui, Oracle Added Value jessie.tsui@oracle-added-value.com +852 2963 8776
Kate McDougle, Added Value k.mcdougle@added-value.com  +44 (0) 208 614 1593
Michael Saxton, Grayling PR michael.saxton@grayling.com +44 (0) 20 7592 7930
Rafal Kwiatkowski, Grayling PR rafal.kwiatkowski@grayling.com   +44 (0) 20 7592 7933

Contacts
Maggie Taylor, CEO Added Value North America
maggie.taylor@added-value.com +1 323 436 6610
Paul McGowan, CMO Added Value Group, London HQ
p.mcgowan@added-value.com +44 (0) 208 614 1518
Zoe Dowling, VP Research & Development and Offer Innovation, Added Value North America
Zoe.Dowling@added-value.com  +1 323 435 6647