Which brands are tops in the UK for 2018?

According to the Centre for Brand Analysis, the #1 brand in the UK this year is not British.

In 2017, and for the previous three years, the top brand was British Airways. Not this year.

The survey asked UK consumers about brands' reliability, distinction and quality. The brands they cited were, mostly, long-established multinationals with strong customer loyalty.

Consumers said that the top 10 superbrands in 2018 are:

10. BMW (cars)
 9. Heinz (food)
 8. Boots (retail)
 7. Marks & Spencer (retail)
 6. Disney (entertainment)
 5. Coca-Cola (beverages)
 4. Andrex (toilet tissue)
 3. Apple (electronics)
 2. Gillette (personal grooming)
 1. Lego (toys)

Marketing a mood, not just a raincoat

https://stutterheim.com/uk

Stutterheim is a raincoat brand that has grown quickly by marketing a mood--melancholy, to be exact. The strapline: 'Swedish melancholy at its driest'.

To quote the company's website:

 Feeling blue inspires creativity.

Today, Stutterheim is known for handsewn, upmarket raincoats that are functional as well as fashionable in a 'timeless' way. Emphasising fashion as well as function, Stutterheim also markets limited-edition coats.

Specialty stores such as Harvey Nichols and Le Bon Marche stock Stutterheim in major global cities. The company operates its own store in Stockholm and in New York City.

If Stutterheim had no story line, it might be just another quality fashion raincoat manufacturer. But marketing the creativity of the mood, alongside the quality coats and other products, enhances the brand's appeal and differentiates it from competitors. Two key points of difference are in the mix: mood (or lifestyle) and quality.

The mood is captivating a growing number of brand fans: Stutterheim's Instagram account has 55k followers; its Facebook page has 31k likes; and its Twitter feed has nearly 1k followers.

Private brands remain strong

M&S wines have won awards

The head of the UK grocery chain Morrisons observes: 'If people are feeling the pinch, they tend to shift out of brands to own [private] brands'. That's why, during the recent recession, private brands marketed by grocery retailers did so very well.

Traditionally, consumers switched to private brands to save money, and then switched back to manufacturers' brands once they felt less anxiety over economic circumstances.

Consumer behaviour these days indicates that despite economic recovery and consumers feeling more confident about spending, private brands continue to sell well. Private brands are helping Lidl--the deep-discount grocery chain--gain market share against traditional UK supermarkets like Tesco, just as they are helping Aldi. 

In fact, customers who can afford to buy manufacturers' brands often choose to buy private brands because they want both value and quality. At Marks & Spencer, for example, the store's brand of wine has won numerous awards, reassuring buyers that the quality is good, not just the price. The newest trend is toward premium private brands, reflecting the dual interest in value and quality.

This post updates the private brand discussion in Chapter 6 of Essential Guide to Marketing Planning 4e.

Do Service Quality Improvements Pay Off?

Ryanair is the latest firm to test whether improving service quality--even on a no-frills airline--will attract more customers and boost profitability.

Being 'cheap and nasty' is not the positioning chief executive Michael O'Leary wanted for his Ireland-based airline, yet that's exactly the view many had of Ryanair until last year. Tickets were cheap, but everything else carried a price tag. Or a penalty.

Ryanair flew from secondary airports to keep costs low, part of its stated promise to offer 'the lowest fares on flights to all of our destinations – and that’s guaranteed'.

Facing competitive pressure from easyJet and others, plus ongoing economic challenges in many markets, Ryanair recently announced major changes. The CMO explains that the objective is to 'become as liked as we are useful'. During the news conference announcing the changes, O'Leary held a puppy in his arms to reinforce the new attitude towards service.

To start, Ryanair has simplified its website to make it faster and easier to book a ticket. Now seats can be allocated before boarding, making the process more user-friendly. Most significantly for businesspeople who fly, Ryanair started arranging flights to and from conveniently-located top airports rather than only from secondary airports far from city centres.

These moves are winning Ryanair more passengers and more profits, according to its latest reported results. Today, Ryanair flies some 82 million passengers every year and is marketing its customer-friendly attitude with an eye towards further expansion in the coming years.

Customers are encouraged to follow Ryanair on Twitter or download one of its apps for access to flash sales and more.