Brands of Influence

The Globe and Mail featured an article (Jan. 31, 2014) containing results of an annual list of influential brands as released by Ipsos Reid.

Roughly 5,000 Canadians are surveyed and asked branding questions about a brand’s trustworthiness and innovation, and whether it plays a central role in those consumers’ lives (presence; corporate citizenship; and engagement).

Included in the Top 10 Most Influential Brands in Canada, according to Ipsos Reid, were:

Google

Facebook

Microsoft

Apple

Visa

Tim Hortons

YouTube

President’s Choice

Walmart

MasterCard

President’s Choice and MasterCard were both new to the top 10 this year.  Other fast-growing brands included Netflix, Hudson’s Bay Company, and McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada.

Interesting differences were seen in how the genders, generations and regions view brands.  The Millennial generations love YouTube, Pinterest and Netflix, while Gen Xers find The Weather Network as more influential than their Boomer or Millennial counterparts.  Among iconic Canadian brands, Tim Hortons is very influential in Ontario, while the CBC ranks particularly high among men, Boomers, and those from Quebec and the Maritimes.

In 2013, the Most Influential Brands study was also conducted in 15 other countries to find the most influential brands in the world, including the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Australia, China, Taiwan and Singapore.

Your Voice, Your Way

By Pam Hadder

Social media - can you imagine a day without it? Have you thought about how much social media has changed the way we interact and communicate? The impact has been massive and global, crossing cultures and borders - all within a very short period of time!


Yes, there have been well-documented ups and downs and pros and cons in the fast forward evolution of the social media scene's fab four: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. But social media is here to stay, and positive feedback has far out-weighed the negative.

Hot on the heels of these new media icons, many other online apps and services have arisen - some have been of the "flash in the pan" variety, but others are gathering steam to rival the social media big guns. There is no doubt that the growth of social media and related products and services is nowhere near the saturation point; like the famed Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going -and growing! Interestingly, the fastest growing demographic in the Facebook community is currently the age 55+group - some see this as a seal of legitimacy or rite of passage; like a nod of approval from an older, wiser mentor.

Good or bad, necessary or trendy, the majority of us have welcomed one or more social media applications into our lives. Many of us keep in touch with friends, family on Facebook, or follow our favourite celebrities and topics on Twitter. Even if social media has not seeped into your personal lifestyle, you likely have had to acquaint yourself with it to some extent in order to be up-to-date in the workplace - because you know that being out of touch in our technically-fuelled world is a shortcut to professional obsolescence!

But what is the greatest impact of social media? Whether you love it or hate it, social media has enabled each of us to have our say, and to express ourselves when, where and how we choose. Sometimes the voice is part of a carefully planned and executed business campaign, or in support of a cause. Sometimes it is simply random self expression, or connecting with like minds. Sometimes inane, sometimes profound, sometimes enlightening, sometimes disheartening or disturbing - social media is your voice, your way, in the moment.

We are in a time of immediacy - we think it, we create it and we share it almost instantaneously. Choose your actions and words wisely - they now have far greater potential to become a very big deal.