Awards go to 44 of the most popular brands in the country
The Sunday Times Top Brands 2017 awards were announced at the Tiso Blackstar Group’s Parktown, Johannesburg, premises with 44 brands deemed to be the most popular in their categories.
The 2017 survey identifies top brands in the business and consumer spheres based on thousands of interviews conducted by Kantar TNS, one of SA’s leading barometers of consumer brand sentiment.
Mercedes-Benz again took the top honours in the consumer awards, top car category.
“The Sunday Times Top Brands Awards is affirmation that consumers are aware of Mercedes-Benz as a brand that inspires passion and creates excitement,” said Selvin Govender, marketing director, Mercedes-Benz Cars.
“We are delighted to gain recognition by consumers who are becoming increasingly aware of the unique combination of tradition and modernity of the brand,” he said.
In the business category, Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) came up trumps in the survey following two consecutive wins in the consumer category previously.
“We are both proud and humbled to be winners of the Sunday Times Top Brand award in the car category for Business,” said Calvyn Hamman, senior vice-president of sales and marketing at TSAM.
“This is indeed a significant accomplishment for the Toyota brand. The ability to achieve a strong position and forge ahead in a rather challenging economic climate is what distinguishes Toyota from other brands,” Hamman said.
The winning brands are voted for by consumers and business decision-makers who rank them as being the best in their categories in a nationwide survey. According to Tiso Blackstar Group — parent company of the Sunday Times — to be a top brand your company must be one that lives within the minds and hearts of both existing and potential clients.
The 2017 survey polled 3,500 individuals aged 18 years and older, in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of SA, to establish a ranking of top brands in 32 consumer categories.
Similarly, 468 business leaders and decision-makers were interviewed to establish the top brands across 12 business categories. The sample also consisted of C-level business decision makers — including CEOs, chief financial officers and chief operating officers — from organisations of all sizes across the country
Tiso Blackstar Group GM of sales and marketing Reardon Sanderson said the top brands survey provided valuable consumer insights to equip marketers in planning their campaigns more effectively and with greater knowledge of the factors that influence consumer spending and brand loyalty.
YOUR COMPANY MUST LIVE WITHIN THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF BOTH EXISTING AND POTENTIAL CLIENTS