Which brands are making the most buzz?

KLA, the exclusive partner for YouGov in the sub-Saharan region, presents the fourth edition of the Quarterly Buzz, marking the completion of a full year of tracking brands with the most buzz in the market. 

The Quarterly Buzz leverages the YouGov BrandIndex tool, a dynamic tool that continuously measures public perception across more than 200 brands in SA.

In August 2023, KLA introduced an eighth sector — the general retailer category — encompassing brands offering home décor and furniture.

The BrandIndex tool tracks the 10 top-performing brands across sectors, highlighting the top five brands within each category. Operating on a comprehensive set of 16 metrics across the marketing funnel, the BrandIndex tool's Buzz metric takes centre stage.

This metric evaluates consumer perception, gauging whether individuals have encountered positive or negative information about a brand in the preceding two weeks.

With performance scores ranging from +100 to -100, a net score emerges, offering a view of a brand's performance relative to its competitors.

These scores are collected over a three-month period, forming the basis for the Quarterly Buzz results, with the latest figures being measured from October 1 to December 31 2023.

The top-performing brands across all sectors in the fourth quarter are: 

The food, groceries and consumables sector continues to maintain a strong presence in the top 10, with four of the top 10 brands from this sector.

There are significant declines in Buzz performance across all four brands in this sector, reflective of the broader environment. While this dip in performance has intensified in the fourth quarter, it is important to note the contextual challenges within this market.

Looking back on 2023, the cost of living crisis has resulted in financially strained consumers who are shifting their buying behaviour.

Even as consumers move into a more positive 2024, their intentional spending habits continue, with a drive towards product value. This has resulted in consumers proactively searching for low-cost products without compromising on quality.

Takealot continues to lead the pack, but noteworthy declines continue in this quarter in 14 of the 16 metrics across the marketing funnel.

Vodacom, a new entrant in the third quarter, climbs the ranks to eighth position in this quarter, with Engen once again making the top 10 since its appearance in the first quarter edition.

With the introduction of the new category — general retailer — new entrant Mr Price Home ranks in sixth position, resulting in Pick n Pay and Clicks slipping in their Buzz rankings.

In the latest report, specific brands’ performance reflects dynamic trends in the SA market.

Checkers: Delivering value and convenience

With customers feeling the pinch of a depressed market, Checkers has drawn their attention towards lower pricing, fuelled by a rewards programme that highlights consumer benefits in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. With this, the brand has achieved great gains in driving accessibility and convenience through its delivery programme, supporting the needs of a more premium market.

Vodacom: Continued adaptation to evolving consumer needs

Vodacom has continued to leverage its offerings to deliver tangible value to its customers. The company has built resistance against the impact of load-shedding through the implementation of systems that have supported longevity during prolonged outages.

The network operator has also rolled out new products supporting the development of emerging technologies that enhance user experience. The brand further successfully extended its Black Friday deals. This, coupled with a move towards meeting consumers' holistic lifestyle needs, further entrenches the brand in consumers' lives.

Engen: Supporting the community

While the market has been buzzing about Engen’s takeover by Dutch-Swiss owners, Vitol Energies, the news that the company will need to ramp up the number of black-owned petrol stations has been welcomed. The brand has extended a helping hand to communities within the South Durban Basin and donated to the Reach for a Dream Foundation, highlighting its commitment to South Africans.

With macro-environmental factors continuing to shape consumer behaviour, there is an increased importance on value for money in a tough economic environment. 

Sector specific results for the fourth quarter:

Sector-specific results for the fourth quarter show a relatively stable top five within each sector, with a few new entrants across three of the eight sectors tracked — notably Caltex, Markham and Momentum in their respective categories.

Mr Price Home, Makro and Pep Home feature as the top three within the new general retailer sector.

For more information about the Quarterly Buzz visit here or contact enquiries@kla.co.za 

This article was sponsored by KLA.