Landor Associates, a global creative community of brand strategists and designers, has released the results of its 2012 Breakaway Brands Study, which demonstrates top ten US brands that have successfully progressed in brand strength over a three-year period from 2008 to 2011. Just like the last year, Facebook was identified as the brand with the leading brand position, which has grown by 206% over three years. 

Photo: 2012 Breakaway Brands list, clickable

The create this study, Landor used data from Young & Rubicam Group’s proprietary BrandAsset Valuator (BAV), the largest database of consumer perception of brands. Landor analized the collected data together with Wake Forest University’s School of Business to identify the factors why these brands were able to remain strong on the market despite of the financial recession. They have tracked three ‘C’ trends:

— Connection. The top ten brands stayed in touch with consumers and engaged them to communicate through mini and macro communities. Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Skype helped consumers stay connected with one another on the basis of their preferences and location.

— Convenience. The successful brands were devoted to their consumers and aimed to make life easier to them offering them affordable solutions.

— Confidence. The leading brands ensured consumers could trust them entirely.

Hayes Roth, chief marketing officer of Landor, commented, “The Breakaway Brands Study remains one of the most telling analyses we undertake each year. In the last few years, we saw technology becoming intrinsic to our lives, while the social, economic, and physical world around us was changing. At times like this, consumers often look to brands to remain the one constant.  They seek experiences that can fill a void, replace another, or connect better. Never has this been as important, and the brands that have succeeded should know they have not done so in vain.”

Landor added three more brands—Symantec/Norton, Kobalt Tools, and Foster Farms—to the top ten list calling them the “ones to watch”.  These three companies showed many of the trends of the top ten brands demonstrating a strong development.