LONDON -- Market research firm YouGov has issued its 2018 BrandIndex rankings, a set of scores indicating "brand health." Scores are calculated by averaging the impression, quality, value, satisfaction level and reputation of more than 1,600 brands across various categories. This year’s scores came from consumers ages 18 and older, surveyed between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018.
Four of the top five brands in the snacking category are indeed snack brands while one represents candy; however, the candy brand took home the highest score.
YouGov also compiled the top Index Improvers, a list of brands whose index scores grew the most compared to last year. These brands included Kind (+2.7), Lucky Charms (+2.2) and Totino’s Pizza Rolls (+2.2). None of this year’s Index Improvers made the list of top brands overall.
Here are the snack and candy brands that took top honors …
BrandIndex Score: 45.4
Mars Wrigley Confectionery's M&M’s brand won YouGov’s BrandIndex rankings in the snacking category, topping the charts with a score of 45.4. The brand has had a busy year, from showcasing a Super Bowl commercial featuring Danny DeVito to launching a variety of flavor-voting contests.
In early July, the Hackettstown, N.J.-based chocolate giant was named the second most trustworthy brand among Gen Z and millennials in a survey conducted by New York-based research firm YPulse.
Photo courtesy of Evan-Amos.
BrandIndex Score: 42.8
Oatmeal giant Quaker Oats took second place with a BrandIndex score of 42.8. The Chicago-based brand recently revealed it is expanding its breakfast offerings to the beverage sector. Additionally, Quaker also added a new cinnamon flavor to its line of Porridge to Go Breakfast Squares.
BrandIndex Score: 42.6
General Mills’ Cheerios cereal finished third in the rankings with a BrandIndex score of 42.6. In September 2017, the manufacturer said it would direct its 2018 focus on growing cereal sales globally. The following month, the Minneapolis-based company launched Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios and resurrected its Pumpkin Spice flavor.
Photo courtesy of MaxPixel.
BrandIndex Score: 41.1
Minneapolis-based Pillsbury came in fourth with a BrandIndex score of 41.1.
The J.M. Smucker Co., Orrville, Ohio, in July agreed to sell Pillsbury to Greenwich, Conn.-based private-equity firm Brynwood Partners in a deal that also included the Martha White, Hungry Jack, White Lily and Jim Dandy brands for $375 million.
BrandIndex Score: 39.5
Camden, N.J.-based Campbell Soup Co. took fifth place in the snacking category with a score of 39.5.
In March 2018, Campbell’s acquired snacking company Snyder’s-Lance for more than $6 billion and launched a brand-new snacking division. Two months later, former CEO Denise Morrison retired unexpectedly after 15 years with the company.
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