｡ﾈBrand Japan 2007｡ﾉ Released: Google, Nintendo, and Suntory Made Top 10; Toyota Tops Four Years in a Row in BtoB and Conquers BtoC

April 20, 2007, Tokyo, Japan – Nikkei BP Consulting Inc. released today a report of 窶廝rand Japan 2007窶? Japan窶冱 largest-scale brand evaluation survey that marks 7th this year, and presented its summary in a commemoration seminar held at Nikkei Hall.  The survey was conducted with a total of approximately 56,000 general consumers and businesspeople on a total of 1500 brands.

BtoC: Google Closing in on Top Toyota

In the BtoC category, Toyota Motor Corporation, which had ranked fourth in 2005 and second in 2006, earned 84.7 points and came out on top for the first time in the total brand power ranking (Table 1).  The company, maintaining the lead in the BtoB category since 2004, held a commanding lead this year, too, as stated below.  In the BtoC category, however, Google, fifteenth in the previous survey, sprung to second place with 82.4 points, just slightly behind Toyota.  Google was followed by Panasonic (third), Canon (fourth), and Sony (Fifth) by narrow margins.  The picture was somewhat different from that of the BtoB category, where Toyota remained in the sole lead.

What contributed to Toyota窶冱 advance in the total brand power ranking in the BtoC category was the factor of 窶彿nnovative窶?  In the ranking for this factor, Toyota finished in fourth place, and its hybrid car Prius, in eleventh.  It indicates existence of interactive effects between the company brand and its product brand.  Also, Toyota窶冱 ranking for the 窶徙utstanding窶 factor rose from 28th in the previous survey to 11th this year, due to an increase of about 5 points in the vote for two of the images making up the 窶徙utstanding窶 factor, 窶徂igh status窶 and 窶彡ool, stylish窶?  The top ranking of outstandingness had in the past been occupied mainly by so-called luxury brands and imported car brands, and Toyota has cut in among them.  However, in terms of the 窶徂igh quality窶 factor, the company lost about 7 points from the previous year, probably due to the recall of four types of Lexus with seat belt troubles in April 2006 and the scandal that followed in July of neglecting vehicle malfunction.

Google rose to second place in the total brand power ranking with 7.3 points up from 2006.  Back in the 2006 survey, the company had shown distinct strength in each of 窶彿nnovative窶 and 窶彡onvenient窶 among the four factors that make up the brand power, reflecting the company窶冱 edge in the image of 窶忖sability and convenience in daily life窶?  This year, Google did even better in innovativeness (finishing in fifth) and made a big leap in outstandingness that showed the degree of differentiation from others, including images of 窶忖nique appeal窶 and 窶彭istinct color窶 (Figure 1).  Google may have taken off for a 窶徃enuine窶 brand.

Notable in this year窶冱 survey results was Nintendo窶冱 leap.  The brand of NINTENDO DS, especially, showed the most impressive improvement from the previous survey in terms of the total brand power.  In the BtoC category, it made a marvelous leap from 250th in 2006 to eighth among 1,000 brands this year.  The corporate brand of Nintendo itself surged to seventh with 79.9 points, showing the synergic effect of the corporate brand and its flagship product (Figure 2) – just like the relationships of Sharp and its AQUOS and of Apple and its iPod in the previous survey.  

In the airline industry, All Nippon Airways (ANA) topped the list with 64.6 points.  It finished in 94th place among all 1,000 brands.  On the other hand, Japan Airlines (JAL) lost some points, ending up in 383th place overall with 51.4 points.  The gap between the two companies widened further from 2006.  ANA made significant improvements in images related to innovativeness, such as 窶徘ioneering窶 (up by about 9 points) and 窶徂aving momentum窶 (up by about 10 points), and gained more points in outstandingness, too.  It also won more points for 窶彷eel familiarity窶 and 窶忖sing recently窶? indicating the success of the company窶冱 brand strategy 窶廂I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Himawari (sunflower) Project窶 with keywords of 窶徭afe, hearty, sunny, and cheerful!窶戍o:p>

In the confectionery industry, Meiji Seika ranked top.  It won 73.8 points, up about 9 points from 2006, and ranked 26th among the 1,000 brands.  Meiji Seika gained 5 points or more for all the four factors.  In the friendliness ranking, particularly, it improved its score by about 8 points and topped the list.  The company did better also in the images of 窶忖seful窶 and 窶徘ioneering窶?  The results indicate that the company is improving its brand power by securely catching hearts of chocolate and snack lovers through campaigns and tapping into new customers with new health and beauty products.

In the retailing industry, AEON and IKEA advanced dramatically.  AEON did better in all 16 images compared to 2006 and gained about 11 points more in terms of the total brand power.  As a result, the company窶冱 rank rose significantly from 269th to 76th among the 1,000 brands.  Retail brands by their nature tend to receive high scores for 窶彷riendly窶 and 窶彡onvenient窶 among the four factors as they have tangible contacts with consumers and sell products closely related to consumers窶 daily lives.  What is interesting about AEON, however, is its unique strength in the image of innovativeness.  This characteristic became even clearer in the results of 2007, and the company ranked 20th in the ranking of 窶彿nnovative窶? driven by substantial improvements in the images of 窶徘ioneering窶 and 窶徂ot窶?  Announcement of its plan for AEON Bank, acquisition of Origin Toshu, and recent announcement of tie-up with Daiei have drawn a lot of public attention, and AEON窶冱 policy for expansion, as a result, has penetrated among general consumers.

Sweden-based IKEA, the world窶冱 largest furniture retailer, launched its first shop in Japan in Funabashi City (Chiba Prefecture) in April 2006, and second in Yokohama City in the following September.  IKEA, too, marked higher scores than in 2006 for all the 16 images.  It almost doubled the point for 窶彙rand recognition窶? receiving 50.0% vote.  In the 窶徂ot窶 ranking, the company ranked 28th (20.1%), which went up to 13th (31.1%) with voters of the Kanto Area.  If the company expands its shops to other areas in Japan, too, its brand power may further increase; it would be very interesting to see how the company窶冱 brand power develops in the future.

BtoB: Suntory, Nintendo, and Kirin Brewery Made Their Way into Top 10

In the BtoB category of the 2007 survey, Toyota, as mentioned above, maintained its sole lead with a high point of 103.1, followed by Honda, Sony, Matsushita Electric Industrial, and Matsushita Electric Works.  Toyota, which kept a solid lead in the total brand power ranking this year, too, topped in the three factors of 窶彷oresight窶? 窶徂uman resources窶? and 窶徼rustworthiness窶 out of the five factors that make up the total power (Figure 3).  Honda maintained high points as in 2006, too, finishing in second place in the 窶忻itality窶 ranking, third in 窶彷oresight窶? and fourth in 窶徂uman resources窶?  

Suntory made it into sixth place, earning about 9 points more than in 2006.  By image item, the company ranked second in 窶忤ant to try working for this company窶 (19.8%), third in 窶徨eliable窶 (54.1%), fourth in 窶徃iving consideration to the environment窶 (29.1%), and these improvements in image resulted in pushing up its brand power.  In addition to Suntory, Nintendo (9th) and Kirin Brewery (10th) also made their debut in the top 10.  Apple (12th) and Asahi Breweries (13th) also found themselves at a higher ladder with higher points.

(Text by Kenichi Yoshida, Brand Japan Project Leader, Nikkei BP Consulting Inc.)

About Brand Japan

Brand Japan is the nation窶冱 largest-scale brand evaluation project to look into how consumers and businesspeople evaluate brands in Japan.  First conducted in 2001, it marks the 7th this year.  The survey consists of 窶廚onsumer Market (BtoC) Survey窶? evaluated by consumers for 1,000 brands, and 窶廝usiness Market (BtoB) Survey窶? by businesspeople for 500 brands. 

About Nikkei BP Consulting Inc.

Nikkei BP Consulting, a spin-off of the Research and Analysis Department of Nikkei Business Publications, Inc., was established on March 1, 2002 with a capital of 90 million yen (wholly-owned by Nikkei BP).  As a consulting/research company on technology and management, it offers various surveys, researches, consulting on technology and management, as well as related publications and products.

縲懐/SPAN> Contact Information 縲既/SPAN>

Kenichi Yoshida

Brand Japan Project Leader, Nikkei BP Consulting Inc.

E-mail: consult@nikkeibp.co.jp ??/SPAN>Phone 03-6811-8308  Fax.03-5421-9179?飲/SPAN>

http://consult.nikkeibp.co.jp/consult/release/bj070421.html

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