American outranked its U.S. competitors in a recent study of company branding. (Image: American)
Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” But in today’s corporate world, the question is “What’s in a brand?” Companies are obsessed with the ephemeral concept of “brand,” which refers to the public’s general awareness and approval of them, and a new study from Tenet Partners rates travel, transportation and entertainment companies on that basis.
Of the 15 firms covered in the study — which involved a survey of 10,000 “influential people” (i.e., “opinion elites and business decision makers”) — Walt Disney ranked first, followed by Hilton, Marriott and the Trump Organization.
Airlines ranked in the middle of the pack, with American finishing fifth — above United, Delta and Southwest, in that order; US Airways was farther down in 14th place. (Most interesting to us: That beleaguered United ranked higher than Delta and Southwest in this study.)
The study assigned a “power score” based on respondents’ familiarity with the companies, and the “favorability” score they assigned them.
Although Hilton and Marriott scored well, their favorability scores had declined, Tenet said: “While consumers’ are becoming more aware of these companies, their confidence regarding their overall growth, leadership, and ability to secure future earnings is waning.”
The study praised United, Delta and US Airways for showing upward movement in their brand scores. “Not only have these three brands grown their overall awareness and improved upon their corporate reputation year-over-year, but have done so consistently since 2010. Southwest, consistently rated as one of the top airlines in customer service, has shown an increase in year-over-year favorability,” Tenet said.
Of the two rental car brands on the list of 15 companies, Avis walloped its main competitor, with a BrandPower score of 40.4, 11 points higher than Hertz. “Across the board, Avis Budget Group improved year-over-year on Familiarity and across the three dimensions of Favorability: Overall Reputation, Perception of Management, and Investment Potential,” Tenet said.
Do you agree with these findings? Why or why not. Please leave your comments below.
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