On March 12th 2018, the annual Superbrands results were published. Superbrands are the definitive benchmark for brands that have set the agenda, outwitted the competition and built enviable reputations. The rankings always provide plenty of insights into what brands need to do in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Over the past four years British Airways have dominated both the Consumer Brands and Business Brands categories, but found themselves losing their top spot in both categories. The British public voted Lego as their #1 in the 2018 consumer Superbrands, whilst tech giants Apple knocked British Airways off the top spot in the Business brands category.

2,500 members of the British public voted on the Consumer Brand category before being ratified by voluntary independent industry experts. Over 1,500 brands were judged against the three core factors inherent in a Superbrand: quality, reliability and distinction. The results from the public vote, can teach brands many lessons going forwards:

  • British Airway falling from top spot to outside the top 20 should be a warning for established brands – customers expect reliability and brands need to deliver on their promises in order to avoid disappointment.
  • Disruptive brands such as Netflix, PurpleBricks and Zoopla may not be in the top spots yet, but there continued rise up the rankings also should provide a wake-up call for established brands.
  • Building good customer relationship should be at the heart of marketing, whilst transactional approaches should be phased out. Customer expectations continue to rise, so maintaining relationships with them are of crucial importance.
  • Customers want to trust the brands they purchase services from, and if this trust gets broken, customer relationships and loyalty will be damaged.

Surveying 2,500 business professionals from across the UK identified the Business Superbrands. Just like in the consumer category, these brands were judged against three core factors: quality, reliability and distinction. Whilst the B2B rankings have remained calmer than the consumer rankings, there are still lessons to be learnt from them:

  • Business brand rankings remain more consistent than consumer rankings, however British Airways getting knocked from the top spot after three years shows brands can’t afford to get complacent.
  • Business brands are judged on other factors than consumer brands. These include service delivery, product innovation and the balance of positive and negative coverage. Companies need to know that they’re getting the best product offerings for their money!
  • 2018 promises another year of turbulent market changes, so brands need to be constantly review and investing in their long-term brand plans.
  • Having a strong brand name is crucial in the B2B space – the consistency in the rankings show how it helps create competitive advantage and business immunity.

This year was the 19th volume of their Superbrands Annual, in which the British public voted on their favorite Consumer brand, whilst a special judging panel chose the Business Superbrand. The event has been receiving great coverage this year, including on Sky News, the BBC, The Telegraph, City AM, The Metro, The Daily Mirror, The Daily Mail, The Independent, and on Yahoo.

We are also proud that Tweak Marketing CEO Louis Proddow was involved in the Superbrands Council for helping judge the Business Superbrands. This is a great moment for Tweak, especially as we always enjoy studying the rankings to see what we can learn from brands that are performing well.

Visit http://www.superbrands.uk.com for more information on the tops 20s for each category, full list of qualifying Superbrands and summaries of the research processes, but also care stories on some of the consumer and business brands that achieved the Superbrand status this year.