Article

Subway, Dunkin' and Pizza Hut are big winners in Harris Poll study

The annual Harris Poll EquiTrends Restaurant Brands of the Year have been named as the result of the massive survey of Americans and restaurant preferences.

June 10, 2016 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

The annual Harris Poll EquiTrends Restaurant Brands of the Year Study results are in and the results show that Subway has remained at the top of the heap with its branding. For the sixth consecutive year, Subway has again achieved Sandwich Shop Brand of the Year designation through the poll. That's quite a feat, according to a release from the poll's operators, which said that only nine other brands have achieved that kind of continued success over the history of the study. 

"Year after year, Subway has proven that it has equity staying power," said Lisa Recoussine, vice president of client solutions at Nielsen, which owns The Harris Poll. "Getting ahead of the fitness curve and being one of the first chains to use a celebrity fitness tie in with 'The Biggest Loser' are some factors contributing to Subway's equity dominance."

For Subway, the news might have been tarnished a little since the same day the poll results were made public, the chain learned its longtime former spokesman, Jared Fogle, will get no break on his nearly 16-year-sentence to federal prison on child pornography-related charges. The chain terminated its relations and employment of Fogle, but the case has been emblematic of the potential hazards any brand faces when it hires a spokesperson.

Another big winner in the poll this year was Moe's Southwest Grill, which according to a news release, showed the largest equity increase (13 percent) of all restaurants measured, and demonstrated one of the largest equity increases across all brands assessed. According to the polling organization, that is particularly significant because brand equity tends to resist rapid movement.

Harris Poll representatives said that Moe's and Subway are great examples of what the best quick-service brands do to secure customers, according to the organization's study of restaurant chains. 

"In Moe's case, the restaurant's aggressive expansion and growth, combined with their focus on fresh, likely factored into their equity rise. ...When we look at the quick-service restaurant category as a whole, healthy and fresh food is a clear trend," said Recoussine. "Moe's Southwest Grill and Subway are examples of restaurants that have listened to their customers and responded to their needs. 

Winners in a number of other categories (please see the complete list in the table atop this article) included Dunkin' Donuts, In-N-Out Burger, Pizza Hut and others. Harris Poll representatives said one of the things these brand winners have in common is their commitment to building what they call "brand fans."

"Building a base of 'brand fans' is another huge contributor to brand equity; when we consider Chick-fil-A, Dunkin' Donuts and In-N-Out Burger, these restaurants have die-hard, extremely loyal customers or fans who are, in some cases, nearly obsessed with these brands. Brands who recognize and acknowledge these fans will remain relevant and stay top-of-mind with consumers' active brand consideration set, meaning not only do these brands have high familiarity and quality ratings, but they are able to breakthrough and drive consumer behavior." 

How the poll was conducted

The 2016 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study sampled 97,120 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over online in English, between Dec. 22, 2015 and Feb. 1, 2016. The 30-minute survey involved 3,837 brands, of which each respondent rated a total of 40 randomly selected brands. Each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings. Data was weighted to be representative of the entire U.S. population of those ages 15 and over. Respondents 18 and over were also weighted for their propensity to be online.

The Brand Equity Index is determined by calculating familiarity, quality and purchase consideration. Brand of the Year is determined by a simple ranking of brands. The Harris Poll EquiTrend Brand Equity Index has been academically vetted, showing that strong brand equity is associated with strong financial performance.

About S.A. Whitehead

---

Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.