"The introduction of the new categories are in response to industry demands for such measurements and reflect the increased integration of technology-based services in the lives of South Africans," says Eben Gewers, head of advertising at Tiso Blackstar group.
"Technology is an important feature of our lives, and has resulted in a boon of paid-for technology services and products available to the public. Reliable data that can measure consumer sentiment in these highly competitive sectors holds significant value for strategists and marketers," Gewers adds.
Samu Makhatini, account director at
Kantar, says, "The most notable additions this year are technology and digital services brands, proving that access to digital platforms and the technology that enables this no longer hums in the background of consumers' daily lives ?— it is fast becoming the loud soundtrack.”
“This year, the results demonstrate the ability of both the relatively young brands, and heritage brands, to be relevant and meaningful to consumers in their own way,” says Makhatini.
"This also indicates that brands (even heritage brands) have the opportunity to act as digital natives. [They can] be disruptive and carve new paths to value in a consumer economy — creating new ways of marketing, new ways of selling and new ways of competing," Makhatini adds.
The new categories in the
Sunday Times Top Brands Survey include:
Business:
- Hotels
- Courier Companies
- Fibre-to-the-Business Providers
- International Airlines
Consumer:
- Craft Beer
- Fibre-to-the-Home Providers
- Hot Beverages
- Household Cleaning
- Laundry Care
- Online Banking
- Paid Streaming Service
- Social Networks
The results of the survey will be announced at the
Sunday Times Top Brands Awards, which will take place in Johannesburg on Thursday, 19 September. The results will also be published in the
Sunday Times Top Brands supplement on Sunday, 22 September.
For more information, visit
www.tisoblackstar.com.