Michelin, Discount Tire rate top brands

NEW YORK (April 27, 2016) — The Michelin and Discount Tire brands were rated the “strongest brands” in their respective categories in the lastest EquiTrend Study compiled and published by Harris Poll.

The EquiTrend Brand Equity Index measures brands' health over time, using three key factors — familiarity, quality and purchase consideration — that result in a brand equity rating for each brand, Harris Poll said.

The EquiTrend survey process this year involved more than 97,000 U.S. consumers assessing 3,800-plus brands across nearly 500 categories.

Michelin and Discount Tire/America's Tire won in the tires and automotive service center categories. Harris Poll does not disclose which other brands were considered.

This is at least the fourth straight honor for both Michelin and Discount Tire.

Other auto service chains finishing behind Discount Tire were: Valvoline Instant Oil Change; Napa AutoCare Center; Goodyear Tire & Service Network; Wal-Mart Tire & Lube Express; Mobil 1 Lube Express; and Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change Center, according to Harris Poll.

Other tire brands that rated highly with the voters were Goodyear, Bridgestone, BFGoodrich and Pirelli.

“Consumers form impressions of brands long before they ever use them, based on their perceptions and what they may know from trusted sources,” said Joan Sinopoli, vice president of brand solutions at Nielsen Holdings N.V., which owns Harris Poll.

“This high level equity is the gateway to eventual purchase; it also helps to protect brands from the consequences of an occasional misstep. The strength of a company's brand equity can have direct business and financial outcomes.”

The complete list of Harris Poll EquiTrend Brands of the Year can be found by clicking here. Additional information is available here.

The 2016 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study is based on a sample of 97,120 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over surveyed online, in English, between Dec. 22, 2015, and Feb. 1, 2016.  The survey took an average of 30 minutes to complete.

The number of brands rated was 3,837. Each respondent was asked to rate 40 randomly selected brands. Each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings.

Data were weighted to be representative of the entire U.S. population of consumers ages 15 and over based on age by sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, income, and data from respondents ages 18 and over were also weighted for their propensity to be online.