SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Global consultancy Prophet announced the results of the fifth Prophet Brand Relevance Index^® (BRI), a ranking of the most relevant brands of today based on consumer feedback.

Apple maintained its standing as the most relevant brand for the fifth year in a row, while Bose, Disney and Pixar made it into the top 10, replacing Google, Samsung and Nike. Pinterest remains the highest-ranking social media brand for the fourth year in a row, although it dropped from No. 3 to No. 10 from 2018 to 2019. Several brands made it into the top 50 for the first time, including, Roku, Sonos, Mayo Clinic, TED, Nintendo, Blizzard, Beats by Dre, Peloton, Marriott, Instant Pot, Vanguard, Tesla, USAA and Zelle.

The top 10 most relevant brands of 2019 are:

1. Apple
2. Spotify
3. Android
4. Bose
5. Disney
6. KitchenAid
7. Amazon
8. Netflix
9. Pixar
10. Pinterest

The top 10 brands share a commitment to staying ahead of customer needs and market trends – using data and technology to power their brands in the digital age. The top brands in the U.S. have a clear focus on maintaining relevance to achieve growth and drive transformation. 

“It’s tremendously exciting for us to hear from 50,000 global consumers every year about the brands and experiences that are most relevant in their lives,” said Jesse Purewal, Prophet partner and co-author of the BRI. “The winners have a genuine and clear purpose, a deep customer empathy and the willingness to invest in developing and delivering a compelling experience.”

The survey was conducted in the U.S., UK, Germany and China. In order to find out which brands are the most relevant to U.S. consumers, Prophet surveyed 13,500 individuals about more than 225 brands across 27 industries. It measured four brand principles: customer obsession, ruthless pragmatism, pervasive innovation and distinctive inspiration.

"Prophet’s Brand Relevance Index is unlike any other study out there because it takes into account real-time conversations with consumers – the only true experts – and uncovers substantial insights that can be directly applied to the business of brand building,” said Scott Davis, chief growth officer at Prophet. “It’s clear that to be successful, brands need more than size, functionality and ubiquity. Today, brands must create a product, service or experience that seamlessly and consistently creates meaning, engagement and authentic connections into consumers’ everyday lives.”

Prophet’s methodology places the consumer front and center, providing an authentic picture of the role brands play in their lives today. As a result, the Index provides tools for business leaders to identify areas of strength and ways to improve the relevance of their brands to achieve uncommon growth. “The BRI reveals the kinds of insights that are truly indispensable to our clients in the C-Suite, Marketing, HR, Strategy and Technology as they go along the journey of customer-centric, technology-enabled transformation,” said Purewal. In fact, Prophet's data reveals that the most relevant brands have outperformed the S&P 500 average revenue growth by 230 percent and EBIT growth by 1,040 percent over the past 10 years.

A few key findings: Top brands…

Play at the intersection of data and experience to drive emotional relevance with consumers.

• These brands curate content to create user experiences that are personalized and thus meaningful.
• Spotify (#2), Disney (#5), Netflix (#8), Pinterest (#10), Roku (#17)

Provide a means of escape, inspiration and delight.

• The large number of media and entertainment brands in the top 50 indicate consumers may not only crave connection in this technology-led world, but also a means of escape.
• Disney (#5), Pixar (#9), NPR (#15), TED (#26), Marvel (#31), Hulu (#34), Food Network (#49), Roku (#17), Spotify (#2), YouTube (#18)

Inspire consumer loyalty with a purpose that is authentic and trustworthy. 

• As customers’ growing need for trust continues to rise, brands must drive loyalty by delivering transparent, consistent connections to people’s values.
• There is a tension between these two forms within technology and data communities: trust in performance and reliability (Android #3) are counter-balanced with growing trends of distrust in data usage (Google #13), highlighting how two brands inherently connected can vary in relevance to consumers.
• Nike dropped 49 spots from the previous year, from No. 10 to No. 59., with less than half of U.S. consumers reporting that they believed that Nike “has a set of beliefs and values that align with their own.”
• NPR (#15), Mayo Clinic (#24)

Innovate for the tangible today and for the aspirational tomorrow.

• Brands that rise to the top understand how to meet consumers’ needs today, while highlighting their strategic path for the future.
• Tesla (#45), Dyson (#51)

Redefine the meaning of community.

• Brands win consumers’ hearts by looking beyond an individual interaction with the product, finding ways to engage and connect users with similar interests and passions.       
• Fitbit (#19), TED (#26), Blizzard (#30), Peloton (#35)

BRI global results
The Prophet Brand Relevance Index^® is released in four countries – the United Kingdom, Germany, United States and China. Apple was the top brand in Germany and the U.S., while NHS took the top spot in the UK and Alipay ranked No. 1 in China. 

BRI methodology
Prophet surveyed over 50,000 consumers across the U.S., UK, Germany and China about 700 brands across nearly 30 industries. It partnered with Dynata, the world’s leading global provider of first-party consumer and professional data based on extensive, proprietary market research panels.

In the U.S., Prophet surveyed 13,500 consumers about more than 225 brands across 27 industries. Companies from all industries that contribute materially to U.S. household spend were included, except brands in the tobacco and firearms categories or those engaged in primarily business-to-business categories. More information about the methodology can be found on the BRI website here.

The complete results across regions can be found here.

About Prophet
Prophet is a consultancy that helps clients find uncommon growth through marketing, brand, experience, innovation and organization & culture capabilities. We operate differently than other consultancies, blending insight, strategy and creativity with an optimistic yet pragmatic approach.

We have partnered with some of the world’s most successful companies, including Electrolux, T-Mobile, UBS, Gatorade and GE. With twelve global offices and more than 450 experts in marketing, innovation, digital and design, we can bring together the right people with the right experience to solve our clients’ business challenges. prophet.com

Media Contact:
Michelle Galliani, Prophet
mgalliani@prophet.com 
+1 650-455-1543

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/92690a7c-8c4f-483b-8e76-96bdf36e8b1f