Emirates is the most positively perceived brand by women in the UAE over the past year. 2016 also saw Emirates crowned as the number 1 brand in the overall YouGov Brandindex UAE Buzz rankings. The airline giant continues to impress with star studded advertising campaigns.
The second most positively perceived brand by women in the UAE is the social messaging app WhatsApp, With the introduction of ‘Status’ video stories and updated in-app features, WhatsApp continues to appeal its users.
The UAE’s premier Hypermarket Carrefour comes in at third place, and is the only hypermarket in the rankings. Carrefour has seen a steady increase in perception throughout 2016, with news of planned expansions and a revamp of their online store helping continue the growth into 2017.
Apple, sits at third place in the rankings. With the 2016 release of the new mac book pro, iOS 10 Software, the Apple Watch Series 2 and the iPhone 7 with wireless AirPods, Apple has had a year of updated releases.
Facebook takes the fourth place in the yearly rankings of the best perceived brands by women in the UAE top 10. With the launch of 360 photos and videos across the platform, new and improved app features and the launch of ‘Marketplace’, consumers are continually engaging with the brand.
The world’s largest video-streaming website YouTube sits at fifth place. With a continued increase in content, as well as the introduction of 4k and 360° video, the platform is well perceived by women in the UAE.
Samsung at sixth place, has gone through a tough period in the past year with the company recall of some 2.5 million Note7 devices following multiple battery issues worldwide. The release of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, as well as a push into virtual reality, may have helped boost Samsung’s brand impression among women.
The leisure and entertainment venue Global Village proves popular among women ranking eighth in in top ten.
Swedish furniture company IKEA, at ninth place, celebrated its 25th year in the UAE with exclusive product deals, cash-back offers, new specialty dishes at its restaurants and family friendly activities throughout 2016.
Google is in the 10th place. With the announcement of its smartphone, Pixel, the release of its 360° views of UAE landmarks in Google Maps and video messaging app Google Duo, the tech major has also had a busy year.
Top Improvers
Unlike the tech heavy top 10 list, the greatest improvers over the past year focused more on leisure and entertainment venues.
Leading the way is Global Village. The 21st season of Global Village beginning this year, multitudes of new pavilions including the all new Far East pavilion, the Algeria pavilion and the Eastern Europe pavilion all seem to have led to a large increase in the brand’s perception among women in the UAE.
Laundry detergent brand Persil is second in improvers, with women in the UAE showing a more positive perception of the brand over the last year.
The newly opened City Walk shopping district in Dubai ranks third as the most improved brand perception among women, with new restaurants, stores and experiences continuing to open throughout the year.
Family favorite Kiri shows an improvement, with innovative marketing campaigns such as the #BetterWhenShared partnership with Uber during Ramadan to help share left over food, along with the ‘Number One Fan’ Mother’s Day campaign helping to boost brand perception among women in the UAE. The only other food brand in the top 10, Lurpak comes in at the eighth place.
Yas Mall and Marina Mall (fifth and seventh place respectively) give a nod to the offerings of the UAE’s Capital Abu Dhabi as a shopping destination.
Huawei and Facebook round out the tech companies in the improvers at sixth and ninth place respectively.
Anantara finishes the list in 10th place as the only Hotel or Resort included in the yearly brand perception among women in the UAE rankings.
