Samsung, Google and Emirates top the mid-year brand rankings in UAE, recently released by research firm YouGov. During the first half of 2014, Facebook has been the nation’s favourite social network, Emaar has earned a top developer’s spot, while Samsung is the top ranked brand overall in the UAE.
According to latest BrandIndex Rankings for the first half of the year, technology companies are among the hottest brands in the United Arab Emirates. Released twice a year by research firm YouGov, the list includes the ten brands with the highest reputation among people. The Index measures the most recent brand sentiment and awareness of over 500 brands across various sectors, compiling the so-called “Buzz score”. The score is based on the responses of people who were asked whether they had heard anything about the brand and whether it was positive or negative.
South Korean electronics giant Samsung climbed to the top position, beating previous winner Google, in the ranking for the first half of 2014. Its success has been driven primarily by the popularity of its Galaxy smartphone, notably the launch of the latest-generation Galaxy S5. But besides smartphones, UAE residents are apparently interested in the Internet – Google ranks second in the list, followed closely by Emirates Airlines. Emirates was ranked the most valuable airline brand in the 2014 Global 500 report, gaining popularity through various advertising campaigns. The sponsorship deal with 2014 FIFA World Cup has not only made it a globally recognized brand, but it has also kept its strong 3rd position during the period.
Top 10 High Buzz Brands in UAE:
- Samsung
- Emirates
- Carrefour
- Apple
- Emaar
- Apple iPhone
- Almarai
- Dubai mall
Due to the many Ramadan promotions, French retailer Carrefour managed to move up 5 places to the fourth position in the list. Of course, its franchise with Middle East holding company Majid Al Futtaim Group has also contributed to its success, especially after its first integrated brand campaign, which was launched on UAE television in May. Apple enters the ranking at 5th position, while Facebook, another new entry, is 6th, showing that social media is gaining huge popularity in the country. Although Emaar has always been famous in the UAE, this year, it makes its first appearance in the BrandIndex Rankings. The various awards it took in recent months are probably responsible for its high buzz score.
Apparently, smartphones are a huge hit in the country – at 8th position we can see iPhone, which jumped two positions in H1 of 2014. According to the researchers, iPhone 5 was the most popular smartphone for residents during the past year and the highly-anticipated iPhone 6 will have even bigger success. At No.9 in the list, falling 5 places, comes Almarai, the region’s largest dairy company. Despite its drop from last year, the brand has kept the trust and loyalty among its customers, probably its great taste, too. The Dubai Mall, which is the largest and most visited shopping mall in the world, enters the ranking at 10th position, proving that despite the increasing cost of living in Dubai, Emirati people simply love shopping.
Although it couldn’t make it to the top 10, US online retailer Amazon is the biggest Buzz improver for the first half of 2014. Online shopping gets more and more popular in the country and experts expect e-commerce to continue its growth in the coming years. Professional social network LinedIn, fast food chain KFC, kids’ entertainment company Little Explorers, Coca-Cola, Diet Pepsi, restaurant chain Quiznos, detergent Omo and Kate Moss-endorsed make-up brand Rimmel are also among the fastest improving brands in the first half of 2014.
