Are you a Brand Snob?

Most people would deny being a brand snob, but a new survey has revealed that we are more prone to brand snobbery than we might think.

The survey from 4imprint has revealed some surprising facts about the British public, their spending habits, and how they view the brands that they buy from. While Brits might love to bag a bargain, they’re also more than happy to spend a little extra to get the right logo, and surprisingly, they are also happy to pay more on a regular basis for a brand that they know and trust. Have a look at the survey results. You might be more of a brand snob than you think!

• More than half of all surveyed consumers said that they are prepared to spend more money on a well-known brand item.
• The most popular brands are Apple, Coca-Cola, and Cadbury, although Adidas was also a strong performer in the 4imprint survey.
• When it comes to coffee, Brits love a logo, and like to flash their Costa or Starbucks cups when they're on the train. Ray-Ban sunglasses were also popular, especially in the summer months.
• The logo itself can be massively important, with a quarter of those surveyed by www.4imprint.co.uk picking the Apple design as the best. Nike came in second with their distinctive ‘swoosh,’ with Starbucks coming in at number three with their green mermaid logo.
• Trust and familiarity are essential. If you visit a strange city and you head to a Costa or Starbucks instead of a small coffee shop, then you join the 10% of people who said that they would do the same. Brand awareness is clearly important for UK residents.

It’s not just about money either. More than a third of those that completed the survey said that they feel genuine pride when they can show off their branded items. Even more surprising is that more than half of those in the survey much preferred it when their logo was clearly visible. Brits like people to know when we’ve got some branded products!

• Money is important of course, but maybe not as much as brand awareness. When it comes to buying branded goods, Brits are happy to pay 12% more for a trusted and branded product than they are for non-branded items. They also do this on a regular basis, with the weekly shop for half of those surveyed being the time when they buy the most branded items. Supermarket own-brands are definitely dismissed for some products. A quick look at the full survey results highlights just how much Brits value their branding!
• There are some products that UK shoppers will only buy branded versions of. The top 10 products for branded buying include:

1. Trainers

2. Coffee

3. Shampoo

4. Deodorant

5. Alcohol

6. Tea

7. Ketchup

8. Beans

9. Cereal

10. Conditioner

• Some products are popular simply because of the strength of the company branding. Heinz, Colgate, Pepsi and Andrex are big sellers for that reason, although Converse trainers, Disney products and LEGO were also well respected by those that took part in the survey.
• Using marketing techniques like offering discounts or providing home delivery makes Brits far more likely to buy a more expensive branded product.

A spokesperson for 4imprint said: “The study shows that consumers clearly identify and buy particular products and services from businesses with strong brand recognition.”

Perhaps you’re more of a brand snob than you think!