Technology brands are tops with consumers, in particular Amazon and Google, according to the Most Connected Brands Index from research company Opinium, which analyses the brands that consumers most like to connect with every day. Following closely behind Amazon and Google are Heinz, the BBC and Apple.

The Most Connected Brands 2018

Key findings

Looking at the top brands highlights attributes that make them so successful:

Adaptability – these brands keep an eye on what consumers want and are constantly working with change, rather than resisting it.

True to their heritage – 31 of the top brands were founded before 1950 and 13 go back in the 19th century. These brands appreciate how to use their heritage to stay connected with consumers.

Something for all ages – successful brands cater for everyone, appreciating that older consumers don’t necessarily favour older brands or that younger consumers favour new brands.

Get connected

Discussing how the top 100 brands maintain a connection to customers, Steve Looney, research director at Opinium, concludes: “Sadly there are no short cuts and no simple answers, however, what is clear from our list is that there is more than one way to achieve #mostconnected status.

“The technology brands are on the crest of a wave right now, dominating the top 10, but some of the other names that feature; Heinz, Cadbury, BBC, Coca Cola, are all national icons that aren’t going to disappear overnight when pitched up against the next shiny new thing. The likes of Amazon and Google would have been nowhere on this list 20 years ago, and who knows? They might get out ‘Amazoned’ in the next 20 years, although highly unlikely.

“Our advice for anyone looking to make the list – make an emotional connection first, then find a way of reminding consumers of this as often as possible, but not just through repetition, the more unique the better. This then leads to that elusive ‘brand dynamism’, a brand people are talking about, and then all of a sudden you’ve gone from a great little brand, to a ‘Most Connected Brand’.”

Methodology

Opinium spoke to 6,000 consumers, recorded 11,000 spontaneous brand mentions and 48,000 brand reviews were used to identify the 100 Most Connected Brands in the UK. The index is the combination of five key brand metrics which are weighted together to produce a one number summary of a brand’s ability to connect with consumers. These measures are:

• Prominence: The brand’s presence and scale
• Distinction: The brand’s unique identity and ability to set trends in their category
• Emotional connection: The brand’s ability to form emotional relationships
• Popularity: The brand’s dynamism and momentum
• Buzz: The brand’s social traction.