Naturally, every brand wants to be perceived as offering a good value for the price, whether the brand is Walmart or Bloomingdales. Consumers are unlikely to remain loyal to a brand that they don’t believe provides the value they want and need for their investment, particularly when the economy is weak. It makes me wonder if some of the brands at the bottom of this list will be able to overcome those perceptions when the economy turns around. For example, will Starbucks regain the market share it once enjoyed in the coffee market once the economy turns around without dropping prices below the $4.00 price point that consumers clearly no longer believe is appropriate?
On the flip side, will the brands ranked at the top in the BrandIndex survey be able to sustain their positions over the long term? I have to admit I was surprised to see Johnson & Johnson in the top 10, particularly at a time when people are struggling to pay for medical-related bills. I’m surprised there wasn’t a cross-over negative perception that would affect J&J, too. Or is it that J&J has such a strong brand history and reputation, protected by a decentralized business model, that it remains fairly insulated from the negativity surrounding it?
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below and let’s discuss!
Image: Flickr
Susan Gunelius is the author of 10 marketing, social media, branding, copywriting, and technology books, and she is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She also owns Women on Business, an award-wining blog for business women. She is a featured columnist for Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.com, and her marketing-related articles have appeared on websites such as MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, TodayShow.com, and more.
She has over 20 years of experience in the marketing field having spent the first decade of her career directing marketing programs for some of the largest companies in the world, including divisions of AT&T and HSBC. Today, her clients include large and small companies around the world and household brands like Citigroup, Cox Communications, Intuit, and more. Susan is frequently interviewed about marketing and branding by television, radio, print, and online media organizations, and she speaks about these topics at events around the world. You can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.
