Verizon is the top mobile network brand of the year, according to the 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend* report, which also announced winners in four other tech categories: Mobile phones (Motorola), consumer electronics (Sony), computer hardware (Hewlett-Packard), and gaming (Nintendo).
Verizon, the highest ranked mobile network, received a score of 63.9 (on a scale of 1 to 100), followed by AT&T (60.1) and Clearwire (56.3).
"Since the change in the portability of phone numbers, switching mobile phones and mobile networks is significantly easier," said Jeni Lee Chapman, EVP of Brand and Communications Consulting with Harris Interactive. "Verizon's strong brand equity can have a large impact when consumers have a choice."
Below, other findings from the Harris Interactive Technology Brands of the Year report, based on survey of 25,000 US consumers age 15+.
Mobile Phone Brands
Motorola (64.4), buoyed by strong familiarity and a significant improvement over 2010 scores, led the mobile phones category, followed by HTC (60.6) and Sony Ericsson (59.8).
Nokia was No. 4 (59.5) and Apple, ranked just above industry average, was No. 5 (59.3).
Motorola offers both smartphones and feature phones, with the latter still a popular choice among consumers.
"Apple may have the market cornered on technology enthusiasts, but Motorola satisfies a much wider audience," said Ms. Chapman. "There is still a large audience of consumers that aren't interested in a smartphone running their life, and Apple doesn’t have a product to meet that need."
Consumer Electronics Brands
Sony (74.7) continues to be the market leader in consumer electronics, closely followed by Samsung (69.5), Panasonic (67.3), and LG (67.3). All four leaders, particularly Samsung and LG, gained ground in 2011, narrowing the gap in brand-equity scores.
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Computer Hardware Brands
Legacy brand Hewlett-Packard (69.9) ranked highest in the computer hardware category, followed by Apple (68.3) and Dell (64.1).
In the highly competitive gaming category, Nintendo ranked highest (69.8), followed by competitors Sony (68.4) and Microsoft Xbox.
*The EquiTrend study evaluates brand equity, consumer connection, commitment, brand behavior, brand advocacy, and trust. Brand equity, a measure of a brand's overall strength, is based on a calculation of familiarity, quality, and purchase consideration.
About the data: The 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend study was conducted online among 25,099 US consumers ages 15+, January 11-27, 2011. Some 1,273 brands were rated in 53 separate categories.
