By Dominic Walsh
Well, apparently it's official. According to YouGov and SuperBrands, Aston Martin is the coolest brand in the UK, no doubt helped by the ‘Casino Royale’ effect.
Yet looking at the full list, what is noticeable is how many technology brands are represented, something mentioned by the compilers themselves. (Though in the interest of full disclosure can I point out that, outrageously, no Johnson King clients are featured - but like the (unrepresented) Murphy’s, we’re not bitter.)
While several of the other categories featured have results skewed towards the “unattainable or unknown” end of the brand spectrum (seriously, how many of us will drive one of these, visit here, drink this regularly or sit on this?), the technology represented is reassuringly egalitarian. The vast majority of us reading this will have bought books or DVDs through Amazon, tried to flog unwanted Christmas presents via eBay, joined Facebook (and given up after a few weeks) or tried to find out if we’re famous.
It’s a refreshing thought – while it might not be the mooted 'revenge of the nerds' (yawn), a lot of the technology that’s made it onto the list is, above all else, practical and fulfils a real need rather than just being shiny and expensive. Why, given the continued importance of technology in our lives, the list might even feature anti-spam software in the next couple of years!
The list also shows the strength of good PR. As SuperBrands themselves say, “the brands that make the top 5 shun advertising and marketing, preferring to let their reputation – or results – precede them”. Disregarding the question of whether product placement counts as marketing, there are still a vast number of entries on the list that have made their reputation based on a consistent news presence rather than plastering their names across buses.
Naturally, any list is going to raise a few questions, and this is no exception. So, here are mine:
Who decides the categories for such things? If I were a PR for a food company, I’d be miffed that ‘drinks’ was sub-divided into four categories while my client had to slug it out in just the one.
If James Bond is responsible for a brand’s success, how come Sony didn’t break the top 20?
And was I really this far ahead of fashion when I was a child?
Of course, this doesn’t alter the main problem with a ‘cool’ list: if you have to be told something’s cool, is it really?
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