The top ten most relevant UK brands revealed

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Global consultancy Prophet has announced the results of the fourth annual Brand Relevance Index (BRI) in the UK, a ranking of the most relevant brands in consumers’ lives today. 

This year saw the NHS soar to the top for the first time, a spot that has been previously dominated consecutively by Apple. Following the NHS in second and third place sit the streaming giants, Spotify and Netflix. Lush and Samsung were new entrants into the top 10, replacing Amazon and Android. 

Outside of the top 10, big shifts came from ridesharing and wider automotive industries. Zipcar made its debut as the highest new entrant into the Index at 22, while Jaguar and Mini were the biggest climbers across the board – Jaguar leaping up from 172nd in 2018 to 45th in 2019, and Mini jumping up a significant 105 spots. 

The top ten most relevant brands were:

1. NHS
2. Spotify
3. Netflix
4. PlayStation
5. Apple
6. LEGO
7. Fitbit
8. Lush
9. Samsung
10. Google 

“This year’s results are at once astounding and intuitive,” said Tosson El Noshokaty, Partner and Regional Lead, EMEA at Prophet. “The NHS’s increasing brand relevance speaks to a level of uncertainty for UK consumers that runs deep at the moment, resulting in a trend towards an even stronger appreciation for the very backbone of the nation. And with declining trust in some of the globally renowned brands, consumers want, and need, strong and stable services on which they can rely and depend.”

In order to find out which brands are the most relevant, Prophet conducted a survey of 12,200 UK consumers on more than 235 brands in 26 industries measuring across four brand principles: customer obsession, ruthless pragmatism, pervasive innovation and distinctive inspiration. By speaking directly with consumers, the BRI determines which brands are truly indispensable to peoples’ lives and how forces like technology are changing consumer behaviours. 

“Our belief as a firm is that relevance is the most reliable indicator of a brand's long-term success and the Prophet Brand Relevance Index® continues to demonstrate this with our data revealing that the revenue growth of the most relevant brands has outperformed the FTSE 100 average by 276% over the last decade,” said El Noshokaty. “Designed specifically to help business leaders and brand builders, the insights identify the trends, behaviours and drivers affecting their brand as well as their competitors.”   

Key Findings

• British brands bounce back – following a gradual decrease in the success of British brands over the past three years, 2019 shows a resurgence of homegrown brands  climbing back up the Index. Leading the trend, the NHS soars 8 places into the No. 1 spot. Other notable high rankers include Lush (8) who moved into the top 10, John Lewis (23) and Pure Gym (29). The biggest climbs came from Jaguar (up 127 places) Mini (up 105 places) and BUPA (up 82 places).
• Declining trust in big tech – innovation alone is not enough. Apple (5) slipped from the number one spot this year after three consecutive years at the top. While still deemed an irreplaceable part of life, consumers are increasingly suspicious of trusting big tech companies with personal data.
• Purpose-driven brands got hotter – with conscious consumerism on the rise, brands operating with purpose are more relevant than ever. LEGO (6), Ikea (18) and Lush (8) all appeal to UK consumers through the successful activation of their eco-credentials and shared values.
• Partnering for excellence – many of this year’s top performing brands are broadening their relevance with strategic partnerships, turning to others in order to scale innovation and deliver on what their customers need now, and in the future. Samsung (9) put an end to choppy gameplay when it partnered with Xbox (12) to co-develop an exceptional level of gaming performance on the QLED TV.
• Access trumps ownership – ownership continues to lose its value as many of the top-scoring brands are those that offer cost-effective, convenient access to experiential products and services. Uber (17), Zipcar (22) and Netflix (3) are prompting traditional brands within their respective industries to shake up their models in the coming year.  

Global Results

The Prophet Brand Relevance Index is released in four countries – the UK, Germany, US and China. Apple was the top brand in Germany and the US, whilst Alipay took the top spot in China.  

Methodology

Prophet surveyed 50,000 consumers across the US, UK, Germany and China about 700 brands. It partnered with Dynata, one of the world’s leading global providers of first-party consumer and professional data.