Google is the Most Influential Brand of 2018 in India – Ipsos Survey

New Delhi: Global Search Engine, email, handset, tech giant, Google has bagged the top spot to emerge as India’s Most Influential Brand (MIB) of 2018, according to the Ipsos Survey.

Interestingly, Google has held onto the top spot, four years in a row, defining benchmarks in providing excellence in engagement, emotional connect and assisting in making smarter choices.

Further, the top 5 spots in the survey have been taken by a mix of global brands as well as local (native) brands – homegrown mobile service provider to handset marketer, Jio, is ranked 2nd (has climbed up one slot from 2017); new entrant at the third place is the digital wallet to e-commerce company, PayTM; fourth position has been taken by social media platform, Facebook; and e-tailing player, Amazon is ranked fifth (has dropped by three slots; was ranked 2nd in 2017).

Ipsos’ Most Influential Brands Study is a comprehensive assessment and ranking of 100+ brands on influence in each country. The study is conducted in 17 countries; with a sample of 1000 online, discerning Indians and 34,500 citizens worldwide.

The brands were evaluated on the five dimensions of influence – leading edge, trustworthiness, engagement, corporate citizenship and presence. Statements used to define each attribute, were used across all markets to have uniformity of assessment.

Elaborating on the results, Vivek Gupta, Managing Director (Business Head, Mumbai), Ipsos India, said, “Brands that have bagged top honors in influence are all tech brands that are playing a critical and intrinsic part in consumers’ lives, making their lives simpler, shaping their choices, keeping them engaged and entertained, thus providing them an edge among their peers and helping them stand out. Another commonality among the top five brands, is the very high frequency of interaction, proximity and utility in consumers’ lives.”

“The study shows that while it’s tough for a local brand to obtain/ retain a top 10 ranking; Jio, a homegrown brand has shown resilience and has moved up a notch in ranking; PayTM (a new entrant) has straightway bagged the third spot. While brand relevance is important, it is difficult to hold on – influence is hard to get and easy to lose,” cautions Gupta.   

Brands for evaluation were shortlisted on two criteria – one, they all had to be salient and widely known; and two, highest advertising spenders. The study covers focused market segments. The top 100 brands belong to the broad categories of airlines, auto, BFSI, digital/ social media, FMCG, fuel, media, online retail, QSR, technology and telecom.

Top 10 List