Microsoft Most Influential Brand In Canada

The data revealed six dimensions which define influence and determine the most influential brands in the lives of Canadians.

As unveiled by Ipsos today, the six dimensions of influence are: Leading Edge, Trustworthy, Relevant, Presence, Corporate Citizenship, and Engagement.

“For a brand to succeed it needs to have some measure of all these factors, but for a brand to exert influence on our daily lives takes time and extraordinary effort,” says Steve Levy, President with Ipsos Reid in Toronto. “While relatively new brands like Google, Facebook and YouTube get a lot of buzz and hype and have made their presence felt on our list, it was the tried, trusted and true Microsoft that rose to the top as the most influential brand in Canada. That’s not something that can be built or bought overnight, and certainly not a position Microsoft would be willing to relinquish.”

Levy spoke today at Toronto’s annual Advertising Week, a five day event featuring insightful, thought-provoking discussion and presentations by some of the leading minds in advertising, marketing and brand management. In his presentation introducing and explaining the findings of the Ipsos Reid Influence Index, Levy revealed the Ten Most Influential Brands in Canada as follows:

1.Microsoft

2.Google

3.President’s Choice

4.Apple

5.Walmart

6.CBC

7.Facebook

8.Visa

9.YouTube

10.Air Miles

Technology and media brands dominate the list, demonstrating the increasing influence these sectors have in the daily lives of Canadians. The list further highlights the growing convergence of the two sectors, as companies such as Microsoft, Google and Apple continue to blur the lines between media and technology.

“It shouldn’t come as any surprise that media and technology companies claim six of the top ten spots on our list,” says Levy. “Both industries play enormous roles in our daily lives, and more and more, these brands are influencing how we gather information, how we connect with one another and how we share our own stories with the world.”

Of the top ten, three are made-in-Canada brands – Loblaws’ private label retail food brand, President’s Choice; Canada’s national public broadcaster, CBC; and, loyalty rewards specialist, Air Miles. The trio scored high in trustworthiness amongst Canadians, proving that their respective brands’ understanding of Canada and Canadians pays off.

“It takes time to build an influential brand. Walmart came to Canada in 1994, President’s Choice hit the shelves a decade before that, Bill Gates has led Microsoft since the 1970’s and the CBC celebrated its 75th anniversary just last year,” adds Levy. “But if brands want to build and maintain their influence, they have to build on these six factors – a leading edge position, trustworthiness, relevance, presence, corporate responsibility, and engagement with their consumers. And if our index is any indication, the greater your influence, the greater your bottom-line success stands to be.”

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between November 23rd to November 30th, 2011. This online survey of 1,013 adult residents of Canada was conducted via the Ipsos Opinions Online Panel, one of Ipsos Reid's national online panels. The results are based on a sample where weighting was employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

About Ipsos Reid
To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca .

About Ipsos
Visit www.ipsos-na.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

Toronto, ON – 24 January 2012