Amazon tops list of brands in relevancy index

Amazon is becoming the most relevant brand to Britons, followed by Aldi and Macmillan Cancer Support, a poll suggests.

Amazon beat 1,595 other brands in the Superbrands Relevancy Index while discounters Aldi and Lidl and two cancer organisations – Macmillan and Cancer Research UK – made the top 20.

Netflix took fourth place, confirming its threat to traditional media companies, while online giant Google placed fifth in the index, which focuses on shifts in the use of brands by consumers and their importance to them.

YouTube, owned by Google since 2006, also placed in the top 20 but there was no room for Facebook or Instagram.

While Apple took 16th position, it was beaten by rival Samsung in ninth place.

Longer-established brands are also gaining in relevancy, according to voters, who placed Nike and Disney within the top 20, while Heathrow Airport made 12th spot, probably due to publicity around the construction of a third runway and the record 38.1 million passengers it processed last year, Superbrands said.

Heathrow, Google, Apple and Lego were the only brands in the top 20 Relevancy Index to also feature in the overall Superbrands top 20.

The core Superbrands survey, which has run since 1995, names Lego as the UK’s favourite brand for the second year in a row, having placed third in 2016 and second in 2017.

Apple moved up one place to second in the overall rankings, reversing positions with Gillette, which moved down one place to third.

The listings are based on a survey of 2,500 UK consumers.

Superbrands chairman Stephen Cheliotis said: “The growing prevalance and importance of Amazon is again evident as it tops the Superbrands Relevancy Index. Those brands performing strongly in the Relevancy Index pose a threat to the more established brands, whether that is Aldi challenging the likes of Tesco or Purplebricks confronting traditional estate agents.

“Those brands toward the bottom of the relevancy list may have troubled times ahead. Many have already suffered fundamental business problems since the survey, including retailers HMV, Carpetright, Oddbins, Mothercare and House of Fraser.”