The tech industry has been commanding a certain fervor and fan worship for quite a few years now. However, there may be a shift occurring in the consumer mind share if Superbrands UK is to be believed. The firm which publishes an annual survey has released their latest findings that ranks business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) firms in the UK. While tech companies are witnessing a decline in the consumer space, they are growing as business "superbrands".
Interestingly, British Airways took the top spot in both the lists while tech companies faced a collective decline in the B2C survey. Apple and Google fell two places, while Microsoft, which was 20th last year, fell out of the consumer rankings to be replaced by Cancer Research UK. Microsoft had earlier held the top position in the "Consumer Superbrand" list back in 2009. Amazon was the only tech company to maintain its position from last year.
Alternately, tech companies fared better in the B2B list as Microsoft leapfrogged Paypal and Google to capture the third position. The company had held the first position in the same list back in 2010. Apple and Samsung retained their positions at 2nd and 15th, respectively. Intel, who was not on the list last year, followed Samsung at 16th position while British Telecom, which was 16th place last year was nowhere to be found.
Chairman of the Superbrands council, Stephen Cheliotis stated:
"In what can only be described as a significant year of change, the UK public have very much opted for brands that represent continuity, consistency and comfort. Whether it is John Lewis or Cadbury, the top 20 brands, bar a few notable exceptions such as Google and Apple, are traditional stalwarts of UK life."
In the business categories, IBM topped in Consultancy & Services, Microsoft was the leader in Software & Solutions, Google in Advertising Solutions, Apple in Hardware & Equipment, and Intel in semiconductors. The complete Business Superbrands list can be found here.
Source: Superbrands via ZDNet | Image: ZDNet
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