Six phases of Superbrand process
DURING the Superbrand Breakfast meeting, the chairperson of the Superbrand adjudication committee, Dr Eve Gadzikwa outlined the Superbrand process as follows:
Phase One: Brand Selection
The first stage is the shortlisting of brands which have been mentioned by the consumers. The shortlisting of brands is done through a nationwide top of mind awareness survey, were consumers are first educated on what a Superbrand is. Consumers are then asked to randomly mention companies or brands that they consider to be Superbrands in Zimbabwe. This process is done without prompting the consumer. It is from this process that the brands which are spontaneously mentioned by the consumers, are shortlisted for top 200 brands. After the shortlisting of brands, the Adjudication Committee has a chance to verify the shortlisting process and endorse the top 200 brands for the year.
Phase Two: Unveiling of the 2018 Top 200 brands
The top 200 brands are then unveiled to the public.
Phase Three: Data Gathering & Analysis
After unveiling the top 200 brands, the next step is to take these brands back to the consumers for rating and ranking, through a representative and nationwide consumer research. The survey is conducted among Zimbabweans aged between 18 and 65 years. A nationally representative sample of 3 000 consumers covering all geographical areas of Zimbabwe is selected irrespective of gender, employment status and income. A stratified random sampling technique that ensures everyone in the selected strata has an equal opportunity of being selected, is used.
The sample of 3 000 respondents is split into two groups which are Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C). These groups have a sample size of 1 500 each and are derived from major areas of Zimbabwe. The sample size is in proportion to the size of the population.
Phase Four: Adjudication of the Results
After the consumer research, the results are presented to the Adjudication Committee for final verification and endorsement. The auditors also present a report to the Adjudication Committee as far as the field research is concerned.
Phase Five: The Superbrand Awards Ceremony
The final results are then presented at the Annual Superbrand Awards ceremony where top business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) brands are given awards. The brands are also further categorized and ranked in their respective sectors were sectoral leaders and their runners-up are also given awards.
Phase Six: The Superbrand Report Publication
After the Awards, a report is published profiling the top two hundred brands (200). Participants can also take up the advertising space in the Superbrand Report. Individual brand reports giving market insights from the market research are also compiled and distributed to participating brands. The individual brand reports contains a wealth of market information that assists in the formulation of strategy.
Benefits of Superbrand
Major benefits of the Superbrand process are realised by participating brands. Brands who pay the minimal research fee are provided with specific sectoral reports. Ordinarily brand custodians have to invest in sometimes exorbitant amounts for research on anything about their brands. However the specific sectoral reports or individual reports that brands receive after the Superbrand process, contains information gathered during the research.
These reports are a measure of brand equity, as such are vital to guide organisations in the formulation of strategy. The report also shows how your brand performed against other brands in your particular sector based on these characteristics, Product or service accessibility, Loyalty, Goodwill, Overall Market Acceptance, Customer Service and Brand Experience. This report also shows overall market share and give recommendations to improve performance of your brand. In addition the report gives insights into the consumer trends and buying behaviour
Other benefits of Superbrand are discounted advertising rates for all ZBC radio stations and ZBC TV. MAZ has also partnered with JCDecaux to offer discounts on outdoor advertising. Through Superbrand, companies gain brand visibility and an opportunity to increase brand awareness through various Superbrand campaigns. They also enjoy increased brand trust from consumers, due to the Superbrand status or seal. Consumers can also have confidence in that purchasing or dealing with a brand that is part of the Superbrand Process, as you can be assured that the brand that has established the finest reputation in its field, offers customers significant emotional and tangible advantages. The benefit for the consumer is the seal of assurance that the brand which has named a Superbrand is a brand of quality and that it meets their expectation. Since it is a consumer based research, the Superbrand process will give confidence during purchasing process and it also demystifies doubts and negative convictions about a particular brand.
Other key stakeholders in the Superbrand include the government, media and academia. For the Government, it gives an insight on the performance of the economy and influences policy making. It also boosts confidence in public sector performance. For academia, over the years we have realised that the Superbrand Report has been used as a reference point as it gives access to research based information and data.
For more details on the Superbrand process contactsuperbrand@mazim.co.zw