rising brands
Posted by Shirley Brady on July 8, 2011 03:00 PM

YouGov BrandIndex’s Buzz score is out with its rankings of brands for the first half of the year.
The survey asked consumers to rate brands within categories, posting the question: "If you've heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?"
In addition to ratings brands that scored the biggest buzz from January to June 2011, YouGov listed the brands that made the biggest improvements in the period vs. their standing in the January-June period of 2010.
Here are the top brands in each category; click on the category name for more details:
Airlines
Top Brand: Southwest
Biggest Gainer: British Airways
Automotive
Top Brand: Ford
Biggest Gainer: Toyota
Hotel
Top Brand: Marriott
Biggest Gainer: Omni Hotels
Insurance
Top Brand: State Farm
Biggest Gainer: Farmers Insurance Group
Investment
Top Brand: E*Trade
Biggest Gainer: Goldman Sachs
QSR (Fast Food Restaurant)
Top Brand: Subway
Biggest Gainer: Chipotle
Retail (Clothing)
Top Brand: Levi's
Biggest Gainer: Nike
Retail (Discount)
Top Brand: Target
Biggest Gainer: Kohl's
Retail Bank
Top Brand: Wells Fargo
Biggest Gainer: Citibank
Snacks
Top Brand: V8
Biggest Gainer: Pepsi Max
Television Network
Top Brand: History Channel
Biggest Gainer: NBC