Google is the top brand for Democrats, according to an index
incorporating consumer impressions of its quality, its value, their
satisfaction with it, its reputation, their willingness to
recommend it and their general impression of it. Google doesn't
appear in Republicans' top 10.
Republicans, on the other hand, rank Fox News tops; Fox News,
perhaps not surprisingly, doesn't appear on the list of Democrats'
favorite 10 brands.
JetBlue is the third-ranked airline brand among Democrats, but
doesn't crack the top five among Republicans, the BrandIndex
analysis shows. Republicans rate Aflac among their top five
insurers, while Democrats make room for Progressive .
Although consumers aren't usually buying a big brand because
they think its owners are actually on their political "side" --
potential exceptions such as Ben & Jerry 's aside -- marketers
may well benefit from knowing how political partisans view
them.
Target says it didn't suffer any bottom-line damage after
gay-rights supporters and some customers protested its $150,000
contribution to a group supporting a candidate opposed to gay
marriage. But it might have avoided the whole mess if it considered
its perceived political image first. Target is the fourth-ranked
retailer among Democrats, according to BrandIndex, but is nowhere
in the top five for Republicans.
Many brands perform well among members of both parties:
Cheerios, UPS, FedEx, Craftsman, J&J, the History Channel and
the Discovery Channel have appeal across political divides.