Apple is the UK’s best storyteller, ahead of Cadbury and Walkers. The cool tech brand is one of five US tale-tellers in the Top 10 rankings compiled by Aesop, with McDonald’s and Coca-Cola in third and fourth spots, respectively, Kellogg’s placing seventh and Heinz in ninth. Apple has ranked first in seven out of 10 research categories including ‘brands considered to have a unique character or personality’ and ‘brands with a clear sense of purpose or vision’.
“This study looks at brands through the lens of narrative and its constituent parts,” says Ed Woodcock, strategy director at Aesop. “The questions are designed to find out which well-known brands demonstrate a ‘heroic’ sense of who they are, what they stand for – and by implication what they’re up against – and what their ultimate purpose is. When these elements come together consistently over time, consumers are more likely to figure that a brand has a great story.”
Utilities jostle for last spot, with Scottish & Southern Energy at the bottom of the pile, below the likes of Thames Water, ScottishPower and NPower.
Retail is the leading brand category for storytelling, with food and soft drinks second and FMCG third. Financial institutions trail in ninth.
“If financial services are telling a story, they are struggling to be heard by the consumer,” says Aesop. “RBS is the worst performing bank with only 5% of consumers identifying the brand as having storytelling attributes.”