The Most Meaningful Global Brands of 2013: A Study of Consumer Scepticism

An index produced by the by Havas Media Group measures the benefits brands bring to people’s lives. The Meaningful Brand Index (MBi) is determined by consumer perceptions of improvements to personal and collective well-being. In essence the MBi measures “meaningful connections” between a brand and consumers.

As explained by Havas Media “meaningful connections describes how we connect brands to people and create shared value for brands and communities. It is supported by Meaningful Brands – our unique framework to analyse and track the connections brands have with our quality of life and well-being.”

Here are the top 10 leading brands as identified by the MBi

1. Google
2. Samsung
3. Microsoft
4. Nestle
5. Sony
6. Ikea
6. Dove
7. Nike
7. Walmart
8. Danone
9. Philips
10. P&G

The index comprises a total of 700 brands and sampled the views of more than 134,000 consumers in 23 countries. MBi measures a brand’s benefits alongside its affect on 12 different areas of well-being, including health, happiness, financial, relationships and community.

One of the most noteworthy observations of the MBi is that only 20 percent of brands are perceived as making a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

While brand benefits are of value to the consumer, those that offer little benefit are viewed as entirely disposable.

“The long-standing relationship between people and brands is broken. Much of the trust, respect and loyalty people had for many brands has disintegrated.”

Those surveyed indicated that they would not care if almost three quarters (73 %) of brands disappeared. In Europe and the US, the survey indicated that they would not care if 92 percent of brands disappeared. In Latin America, that figure drops to 58 percent and in Asia 49 percent.

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© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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