Google Is India’s Most Influential Brand For Fourth Year In A Row

American search giant Google trumped local brands such as Reliance-owned Jio, and digital payments company Paytm to again become the country’s most influential brand in 2018, according to a study by research firm Ipsos.

Google has held on to its most-influential spot for the fourth year in a row, Ipsos noted. Ipsos studied brands on five parameters of influence–leading edge, trustworthiness, engagement, corporate citizenship and presence. Ipsos sought opinions of 1,000 internet users in India for the study that globally spanned 17 countries and 34,500 citizens. The study assesses over a 100 brands on their influence in each country.

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,” Ipsos said in its report.

Home-grown mobile service provider to handset marketer, Jio, ranked 2nd moving up one rank from the previous year; digital payments company Paytm was the new entrant on the list ranking third; followed by social media platform, Facebook. American e-commerce company Amazon dropped three spots to come at number five this year, followed by South Korean handset maker Samsung, Microsoft, Airtel, Flipkart, and Apple (iPhone), Ipsos noted.

Clearly, technology brands reigned high on the list especially as India’s smart phone penetration, the second-highest in the world, is helping users access more technology and digital brands. “Brands that have bagged top honors in influence are all tech brands that are playing a critical and intrinsic part in consumers’ lives,” said Vivek Gupta, Managing Director (Business Head, Mumbai), Ipsos India. Another commonality among the top five brands, said Gupta, is the “very high frequency of interaction, proximity and utility in consumers’ lives.”

Ipsos shortlisted brands on the basis of their popularity and high advertising spends. The study covers focused market segments and categories such as airlines, auto, BFSI, digital/ social media, FMCG, fuel, media, online retail, QSR, technology and telecom.―Livemint