Samsung Mobile tops India’s Social Media Brand Equity

Samsung Mobile Phones is at the top of the list of the top 20 brands that have most successfully generated social media buzz and positive online public sentiment, finds the Social Media Brand Equity Ranking (SMBER) index, launched by NM Incite, a Nielsen/McKinsey company.

Samsung Mobile Phones is top-of-mind for consumers discussing the Android platform in social media, which gives the brand its boost to premier ranking in the SMBER. Samsung’s large following on social media platforms gives it a ‘buzz share’ of 36 percent, according to the results of a previous study that measured the buzz on discussions around Android. Ranked second is automobile manufacturer Ford India, followed by Maruti Suzuki, Nike, and Flipkart to round out the top five.

The SMBER analysis covers the social media buzz from the period of 1st January to 31st December 2011 for 400 brands in India.

Sector rankings
• According to the SMBER index, the telecom sector registers a strong presence in the top 20 ranking, fuelled by a large volume of buzz on social media channels, as well as a high follower base. Mobile phone manufacturers Samsung placed first, followed by LG Electronics (7th), Sony Ericsson (10th) , Nokia (13th) and HTC (17th). Telecommunications service providers Airtel placed 14th, followed by Vodafone (15th), and Tata Docomo (16th). “The telecom space is an important point of discussion for consumers in the online world. A deep-dive into the list showed buzz dominating around mobile services and mobile phones. Service providers have leveraged their social media presence, and are utilizing the channel to their favour. Be it resolving customer complaints or launching advertising campaigns, consumers online are discussing them, and some companies have done particularly well in generating positive sentiment,” says Family.

• The other sector that ranks well in the SMBER is the automotive sector, with six brands in the top 20: Ford India (2nd), Maruti Suzuki (3rd), Mahindra & Mahindra (6th), Volkswagen India(8th), Hyundai Motor India (11th), and BMW India (19th). Automotive’s prominent showing is driven by large number of followers on social media platforms, lots of product reviews, and consumers sharing photographs and tips related to their experiences. In addition, automotive has great breadth of coverage with many conversations taking place on consumer forums beyond Facebook and Twitter.

• Nike ranked fourth on the index on the basis of positive sentiment and cross-platform buzz. Their “Bleed Blue” campaign for the ICC World Cup (2011) generated positive sentiment that carried the brand forward throughout 2011.

With more than 2 million fans on Facebook, Nike is one of the most popular brands on the site.

• E-commerce platform Flipkart, ranked at number 5, has a high buzz volume on online social forums, Facebook and Twitter, giving it a distinctive edge over similar sites in India. With 16,000 followers on Twitter, it gets high marks on the ‘fans and followers’ parameter.
“Both Nike & Flipkart have used innovative campaigns, both online and offline, and have succeeded in keeping their momentum, in terms of an active engaging presence online. For Flipkart, their advertising campaign and cash-on-delivery model has led to positive customer service feedback, which has garnered a high positive public sentiment score for the brand,” says Family.

• Channel V made it to the 9th position on the SMBER, and is the only brand from the media entertainment industry. Channel V was seen to be more likeable in public sentiment, and had more buzz across all social media platforms in comparison to its key competitors.

• Interestingly, the only FMCG brand to rank in the top 20 is Nestle’s Maggi (12th), with one of the highest scores for positive associations across all the listed brands.

• Brands in sectors like banking and financial services/insurance, airlines, and quick-serve restaurants did not make it into the top 20 ranking due to high levels of dissatisfaction with customer service voiced on social media forums.