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Optus and Telstra head to head as Australia's most authentic telecommunications brand
June 27, 2008 - Australia’s major telecommunications brands, Optus and Telstra have achieved almost equal scores in the second landmark Authentic Brand Index (ABI) released this week by Principals and Synovate.
The ABI is the only study to measure the authenticity of global and local brands among Australian consumers and ranks more than 100 brands across a variety of industries.
Telstra achieved an overall brand ranking of 53 with an authenticity score of 28.3, followed by Optus which was placed at no. 57 with a score of 27.8. This was followed by BigPond (no.60), Virgin Mobile (no.71), Vodafone (no.78), 3 (no.88) and Skype (no.92).
More than 4,500 consumers participated in this year’s study. The fieldwork was undertaken over a two-month period from mid-March through to mid-May and a total of 104 brands (up from 70 in 2006) were tracked for their authentic engagement with consumers.
In 2006 the study discovered seven drivers that consistently differentiated between brands considered to be authentic and inauthentic, independent of category and industry. Those seven drivers are: Personal Utility, Familiarity, Originality, Declared Beliefs, Sincerity, Momentum and Heritage.
“Telstra’s decline has been driven by a reduction in the Heritage and Familiarity reputation drivers with the Telstra brand notably less top of mind than in 2006. Part of this decline in the iconic profile of the Telstra brand may be due to the increasing profile and standing of their BigPond brand, which has gained 7 points on the authenticity index, the same amount by which the Telstra brand has declined,” Principals Planning Director Wayde Bull said.
“It would seem that there’s some transference of equity from Telstra to BigPond. Whilst BigPond is viewed as a more original and high momentum brand than Telstra, it has the very qualities that the parent brand really needs to remain relevant into the future.” The study also showed the mobile carriers Virgin Mobile, Vodafone and 3 have all declined on the authenticity index this year, with all having a decline in terms of their perceived Originality and Momentum.
“These brands are no longer the fresh young challengers they once were. There’s a big challenge to keep their brands feeling fresh and different as the technology that drives these brands becomes more commonplace –and interchangeable between brands,” Bull added.
(The telecommunications category in order of performance can be seen at the end of this release).
The industries covered by the study also included airlines, personal technology, retailer, grocery, fashion, banking and automotive.
“Authenticity is an important business concept today. It speaks to the need for businesses to truly align their products, services and channels to market and deliver experiences that customers value and are consistent with the brand promise,” Synovate Director of Client Services Dean Harris said.
“Authentic brands have a clarity of purpose that is sincerely executed. Authenticity is the new battleground for the hearts and minds of customers and the extent to which brands are seen to be authentic will ultimately determine the success of a brand in its market.”
|
Rank |
TELECOMMUNICATIONS |
ABI 2008 |
Change from 2006 |
|
1 |
Telstra |
28 |
-7 |
|
2 |
Optus |
28 |
-2 |
|
3 |
BigPond |
27 |
+7 |
|
4 |
Virgin Mobile |
24 |
-6 |
|
5 |
Vodafone |
23 |
-4 |
|
6 |
3 |
20 |
-3 |
|
7 |
Skype |
17 |
New |
|
8 |
AAPT |
16 |
-1 |
|
9 |
iinet |
10 |
New |
|
10 |
Unwired |
8 |
New |
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