PA Consulting’s Brand Impact Index: Dawn ranked top for US brand perception

The survey of 7,000 US consumers shows that:

• While 84% of US consumers are disappointed with the current state of the world, 74% believe that brands have a crucial role to play in driving positive change.
• 80% expect brands to demonstrate their commitment to people and profits.
• And more than half of US consumers (55%) only buy from brands that make a positive impact in the world.

Consumers ranked brands based on whether they create a better future, and how much they would recommend them. Dawn was ranked as the top-performing brand and was scored highly for its approach to innovation, where it has produced products designed to be easier to use, and that save water and energy. Consumers also recognized the brand’s sustainability work, as demonstrated through its partnership with wildlife organizations to clean animals affected by oil pollution.

The top ten performing brands in the survey are:

In addition to delivering dependable products and services, these brands deeply understand their customers, make consumers feel good about doing business with them, and innovate to continue satisfying demand.

The Brand Impact Index findings also show that:

• The highest performing brands have strong loyalty among consumers: 79% are more likely to try new products, services, and experiences from them; 78% are more likely to consider them the only option; and 75% are more likely to be willing to pay a premium for these brands.
• Among the highest-ranking brand categories are household and personal care products that satisfy hygiene needs, and sports brands that build community. Ranking low are social media platforms, media and broadcasting organizations, and dating apps. Millennials hold the highest expectations for brands (even above Gen Z), while Baby Boomers hold somewhat lower expectations.
• Innovation is deeply important for consumers. Top performers here included Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung. The categories seen to be underperforming were financial services, connectivity and utilities, and dating apps, which were typically scored down for not offering sufficient quality in their products, particularly in digital experiences.
• Brands need to focus on sustainable products and services. The highest ranked categories here include wellness, nutrition, and personal care. Surprisingly, another high scoring category is financial services – where forward-thinking brands are acting as conduits for change by helping to funnel investment into sustainable areas. Lowest performing categories include social media and sports as they are typically perceived as falling short of working to create a better world.
• When it comes to understanding consumers, the top performing brands tend to come from food, personal care, and homecare. Top brands here include Breyers, Betterment, Lego, Disney, and KitchenAid.

Methodology

The PA Consulting Brand Impact Index ranks 320 brands across more than 30 industries. PA Consulting commissioned a survey of 7,000 US consumers, reflecting national diversity across age, gender, region, ethnicity, and household income.