Brands of the Year: M&M's, Target, Blue Moon

Brands that give us comfort and provide value are driving an overall improvement in consumer sentiment according to the 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend study conducted by Harris Interactive. The Harris Poll EquiTrend study measures consumer brands within 46 different categories. Brand Equity ratings are driven by three factors: Familiarity, Quality and Purchase Consideration.
 

So what brands came out on top? Target Stores, Nintendo and M&Ms Plain Chocolate Candy were each highest ranked in their respective category.
 

"As consumers continue to look for ways to reduce their budgets, having a brand that consumers trust and respect plays a large role in keeping consumers loyal," said Jeni Lee Chapman, executive vice president for Brand Research at Harris Interactive. "Consumers continue to be more selective about what they purchase, but those companies with high brand equity are able to avoid switching behaviors of those brands that lack brand equity."
 

While the full study spans 46 different categories, here’s a look at which brands took home top billing in the consumer goods market:
 

 

 

The EquiTrend® study evaluates measures including: Equity, Consumer Connection, Commitment, Brand Behavior, Brand Advocacy, and Trust. The keystone to the program is Equity, which provides an understanding of a brand's overall strength and is determined by a calculation of Familiarity, Quality, and Purchase Consideration.
 

This year's Harris Poll EquiTrend® study was conducted online among 25,099 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over between January 11 and 27, 2011. A total of brands 1,273 were rated in 53 separate categories. Each respondent was asked to rate a total of 60 randomly selected brands. Each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings. Data were weighted to be representative of the entire U.S. population of consumers ages 15 and over on the basis of age sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, and income, and data from respondents ages 18 and over were also weighted for their propensity to be online.