The Icon Brands survey measures brands across hundreds of sub product categories. Out of 450 categories, 41 categories qualified, delivering 22 brands which stood out as Icon Brands in their category. Fifteen thousand consumers were surveyed representing more than 18 million urban adult consumers across race, creed, income and language. The data was weighted using the Statistics South Africa population estimates.
“This is an outstanding achievement for which the entire Hi-Q network deserves congratulations. To have held number one position for two years in a row proves that South Africans truly believe that Hi-Q is the leading tyre retail brand in the country,” said Andrew Bowren, Hi-Q General Manager.
“This is no flash in the pan – Hi-Q is clearly the people’s favourite. It is totally independent research over which we have no influence. It covers a broad spectrum of South African consumers who had personally bought tyres in the 12 months preceding the research, so their experience in the tyre retail market was first hand and fresh.
“Every Hi-Q store contributes to the fantastic iconic status of our brand every day. Motorists across the country know they can rely on the same outstanding levels of service, product and value from any Hi-Q store anywhere. Whether they need tyres, shock absorbers, exhausts or simply a free safety check on their vehicles, South Africans trust the flags of the ‘yellow and blue’ and believe that Hi-Q stores offer motoring peace of mind.”
Aside from Tyre Retail, other categories researched in TGI’s ICON Brands survey include Motor Vehicle, Food Retail, Airlines, Appliances, Fuel Providers and Insurers.
“From a South African perspective, we have to ask ourselves which brands unite us as a nation, which brands are used and loved by South Africans across the age, income, race and language spectrums. Every year, the Media 24 TGI ICON Brand Survey answers these questions for us,” said Maria Petousis, TGI Client Services Director.
.
“Brands do more than just satisfy wants and needs; they become symbols and contribute to the way users define their status and their personalities. Some even become symbols of the nations that spawned them, such as Coca-Cola in the United States or Guinness in Ireland.
“South Africans have voted with their wallets and their hearts in creating these TGI ICON brands for 2011. Quintessentially South African brands define a common experience. Our research is calculated to ensure that all the brands’ iconic status is indeed universal across the population, irrespective of background or living standard.”
