By Glenn S. Demby, Esq.
The phrase “consumer engagement,” kept coming up in this year’s TLL Annual Survey, especially when respondents identified the key trends shaping licensing. “It’s all about connecting with consumers and forging an emotional and day-to-day relationship so that your brand becomes part of their lives,” according to one respondent.
So, who does the best job of engaging consumers?
This week, a new consumer survey came out purporting to answer that question. The Brand Actualization™ study, which comes from retail strategy firm FRCH Design Worldwide, measures brand engagement using seven criteria:
- Whether consumers advocate the brand to others;
- Whether there’s two-way communication between the brand/retailer and customers;
- Whether a brand is true to its mission, social causes and environmental concerns;
- The degree to which a brand engages the senses and imagination and creates a sense of place;
- The brand’s visual imagery, tone and degree to which it’s identifiable beyond the logo;
- The quality and variety of the brand’s products/services;
- The brand’s effectiveness on the web, mobile, in-store and social media.
The study then ranks 50 leading brands/retailers according to these criteria:
Top 10 Brands
Top 10 Brands | ||
---|---|---|
Rank | Brand/Retailer | Brand Actualization Score |
1 | The Disney Store | 76.65 |
2 | Oakley | 74.69 |
3 | Sephora | 74.02 |
4 | Zara | 71.16 |
5 | Anthropologie | 70.85 |
6 | Fossil | 70.65 |
7 | Michael Kors | 70.65 |
8 | Coach | 70.34 |
9 | Bath and Body Works | 69.86 |
10 | REI | 69.71 |
On the south side of the list:
Bottom 10 Brands | ||
---|---|---|
Rank | Brand/Retailer | Brand Actualization Score |
41 | The Home Depot | 58.19 |
42 | Target | 56.76 |
43 | Best Buy | 55.22 |
44 | Staples | 53.90 |
45 | CVS | 53.60 |
46 | JCPenney | 53.55 |
47 | Walgreens | 52.04 |
48 | Safeway/Albertsons | 51.92 |
49 | Walmart | 47.70 |
50 | Dollar General | 45.64 |