Social media giant Facebook is the most positively talked about brand among millennials in the UAE, ahead of iPhone and Apple according to brand new data from YouGov BrandIndex.
YouGov’s daily brand tracking tool, BrandIndex, considered the opinions of UAE respondents aged between 18 and 34 collected online over the past year to discover the 10 brands they’ve talked about most positively with friends and family, whether in person, online or through social media.
Among a generation who grew up with a constant connection, there’s no surprise to see social media, mobile and tech brands taking six of the top 10 spots. Behind Facebook, iPhone and Apple take the lead in second and third place respectively, ahead of competitor Samsung Galaxy and Samsung in fifth and sixth. Meanwhile, instant messaging phenomenon WhatsApp ranks fourth.
However, local lifestyle and banking household names and global quick-service restaurant chains are also demonstrating strong resonance with this age group. Home-grown favourites, airline and lifestyle brand Emirates and retail bank Emirates NBD take up seventh and ninth respectively, while global quick-service restaurant giants McDonald’s and KFC complete our rankings in eighth and tenth.
1.Facebook
2.iPhone
3.Apple
4.WhatsApp
5.Samsung Galaxy
6.Samsung
7.Emirates
8.McDonald’s
9.Emirates NBD
10.KFC
YouGov used the Buzz and WOM (Word of Mouth) scores in BrandIndex to create the rankings. Buzz asks respondents, “Have you heard anything positive about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news, or word of mouth?” WOM asks respondents “Which of the following brands have you talked about with friends and family in the past two weeks (whether in person, online, or through social media)?”
Scott Booth, Head of YouGov BrandIndex in MENA commented: “Cross-referencing WOM with positive Buzz about brands allows us to measure which are the ‘most viral’ among consumers. Seeing exciting, young tech brands emerge as the leading brands creating chatter among UAE millennials fits our expectations of this group as tech-savvy digital natives and future thinkers. The presence of two global quick service restaurants and home-grown household names in the rankings highlights efforts these brands are also making to build a positive image among the more socially, globally and environmentally conscious millennial group.”
