Recently, our CEO attended #FFWD2017 by ICA. BuyAndSellABusiness.com has been a proud sponsor of this event for the last 3 years, aligning ourselves with the likes of Google, Amazon, BBM, Facebook, Globe & Mail, Yahoo, Twitter, Bell, Rogers, Pizza Nova, Starbucks, Steam Whistle, Porter, UBER, Kijiji and of course, IPSOS. Our team believes that marketing, advertising and branding are the true competitive advantages for 2017, which is why we are huge fans of this event. The importance of sharing insightful content that resonates with your consumer positions you as a top of mind brand that differentiates you from competitors, drives valuable business and creates long term relationships.. This is key, especially with all of the noise surrounding our consumers.
While he was there, Nunzio attended a seminar that he looks forward to every year with a few team members. The seminar was titled “2016 Most Influential Brands in Canada” presented by Steve Levy, COO at IPSOS. Before diving into the list he presented, let’s clarify the 5 dimensions used to measure influence:
- Trustworthy: Able to be relied on as honest or truthful.
- Engagement: Ability to connect with customers.
- Leading Edge: Pushing the status quo in technology and innovation.
- Corporate Citizenship: Having social responsibility to the community.
- Presence: Being relevant.
With that said, here they are (and some of them may not surprise you!):
10. CBC
9. Tim Hortons
8. VISA
7. Walmart
6. YouTube
5. Amazon
4. Apple
3. Microsoft
2. Facebook
AND THE #1 SPOT BELONGS TO:
The common denominator amongst all of these stellar brands are the following:
- They are all influential brands that outperformed the Dow/NASDEQ.
- They spend a lot of money on advertising (top 100 spends according to Nielsen).
- They brand Canada first (very consumer centric).
After going through the similarities shared between these influential brands, it is apparent that Nunzio seems to have made a valid point in his previous LinkedIn publication – “Are IP Barriers to Entry Still The Game“. It looks like influence really is the key to success, but like Steve mentioned in his presentation, “Influence is hard to get and easy to lose”.
Are you creating and building an influential brand? Tell us how!
Thanks for reading.
First published under our former name, BizON.
