The 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend study (EQ) measured the perceptions of more than 38,500 American consumers about more than 1,500 lifestyle, product, and service brands to reveal which brands Americans are likely to reach for when they are hungry. Here’s a sneak peak at the products that were deemed “Brands of the Year” in their respective categories.
Chobani Debuts as Highest Ranked Yogurt
In its first appearance in the EQ study, Chobani Greek Yogurt has earned the highest brand equity score and is rated as the top yogurt brand in the country. While it is less familiar to consumers than ubiquitous Yoplait, Dannon and Stonyfield, those who are familiar with Chobani rate it at the top for Product Quality and Purchase Consideration. Its award-winning debut suggests that as Greek-style yogurt becomes better known and trial usage increases, consumers become smitten. Other brands ranked above the category average include Yoplait, Dannon, Stonyfield and Stonyfield Oikos-O Greek Yogurts.
"The Harris Poll EquiTrend study confirms that while Americans tend to be brand-loyal, they are happy to experiment with new products, even if they are substantially different from the traditional competitors," says Lorraine Julian, senior vice president at Harris Interactive. "Greek-style yogurt is a relatively recent phenomenon, and the Harris Poll EquiTrend study demonstrates that a good number of Americans have been open-minded enough to alter their ideas about what a yogurt should be. This would suggest that if food mega brands ensure that their products are of exceptional quality, they can benefit greatly from innovation."
Popcorns Burst into EquiTrend ?
In the newly minted popcorn category, Orville Redenbacher Popcorn is the Popcorn Brand of the Year. Not only is Orville Redenbacher the most familiar among the seven popcorn brands surveyed, it also received top-ranked scores for Quality and Purchase Consideration. The only other brand to rank above the category average was Pop Secret Popcorn, with Purchase Consideration second only to Orville Redenbacher.
Milk's Favorite Cookie is America's Favorite, Too
?Oreo is the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend Cookie Brand of the Year. The brand has been in the study for eight years and has always been the top-ranked among all cookie brands surveyed. Top scores for Familiarity, Quality, and Purchase Consideration drive this perennially top-ranking brand. After Oreo, Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies, Keebler Fudge Shoppe Fudge Stripes Cookies, Nilla Wafers, Pepperidge Farm Soft Baked, and the Chip Ahoy triplets — traditional, chunky, and chewy — all ranked above category average as well.
How Americans Get Their Salt Fix?
As enticing as cookies are, Americans also enjoy their salty snacks. Like Oreo cookies, Lay's Potato Chips have been perennially top-ranked among salty snack brands surveyed over the last eight years. The 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend study finds that Lay's Chips are followed by Doritos and Tostitos to comprise the top three salty snack brands. Also rounding out brands above the category average are Cheez-It, Fritos, Goldfish Crackers, Ruffles, and Snyder's of Hanover Pretzels.
Protein-Rich CLIF Bar Looms Large
Within the new energy bar category, CLIF becomes the 2012 Brand of the Year. Odwalla and Luna compete in a close equity race and rank second and third respectively. Kashi GOLEAN earns fourth place, while PowerBar rounds out the list of brands that ranked above the category average.
About Harris Poll EquiTrend
Harris Poll EquiTrend is a Brand Equity tracking study conducted by Harris Interactive that measures and compares brand health for more than 1,500 brands. The study was conducted online from January 31 through February 20, 2012 and analyzes the responses of over 38,500 consumers on key measures of brand health — including how well the public knows a brand, how positively they think of the brand and their consideration to do business with or donate to a brand. Each brand is rated 1,000 times among respondents who are familiar with the brand. Harris Interactive has conducted its EquiTrend study regularly since 1989, and can offer yearly trended data from 2005. The Equity Score, a key take-away from EquiTrend, has been validated against financial performance by Georgetown University.
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