A Wunderful Experience

By George Anderson


Saturn, Gateway, Wal-Mart, Palm and Costco are the top five brands in the experience of American consumers according to new research from Wunderman (www.wunderman.com), part of the Young and Rubicam global marketing and advertising group.


The study, the Wunderman Brand Experience Scorecard™, is said to be different from traditional brand studies that focus on brand perceptions. Wunderman says that its study “measures the quality of lived experience among brand users, revealing which brands consumers believe deliver substance and value in their daily lives.”


The results of the Wunderman Scorecard do suggest differences from standard brand awareness research. Chip Walker, managing director, Strategy and Insights at Wunderman said, “By using experience, rather than perception, as our gauge, Wunderman’s rankings differ sharply from traditional brand studies, which are typically dominated by big advertisers such as Coca-Cola and Nike. These are notably absent from the top ranks of the Wunderman Brand Experience Scorecard.”


The study results are based on how well brands scored against three key metrics. The major drivers of brand experience, says Wunderman, are performance, treatment and community.


“Companies are starting to realize that building brand loyalty has less to do with traditional brand imagery and everything to do with frequent, customized one-to-one communication and interaction with customers about their specific needs,” said Wunderman’s chief executive, Daniel Morel.


Here are the top 25 brands according to the Wunderman Brand Experience Scorecard™.

Saturn 99.43
Gateway 98.43
Wal-Mart 97.77
Palm 97.10
Costco 96.97
Toyota 96.87
Sam’s
Club
95.23
Dell 95.23
America
Online
92.40
Marriott 91.90
Sears 91.87
American
Express
90.80
Apple 90.00
Ford
Motors
89.97
Hyatt
Hotels
89.60
Target 88.67
Chevrolet 88.13
Subway 87.33
Vanguard
Group
85.87
Microsoft 85.57
AVON 85.17
Ebay 83.80
Hilton 83.13
Home
Depot
83.00

Moderator’s Comment: What are your thoughts on the
Wunderman Brand Experience Scorecard™?


This research may be a good barometer of the loyalty consumers
have to a specific brand. The question then becomes how to grow the consumer
franchise. Saturn owners, ourselves included, speak highly of the product and
their experience with the dealership. That experience, has yet to translate
into commiserate sales growth. [George
Anderson – Moderator
]

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