Goya tops the list of brands most-recognized by P.R. consumers
A year after Hurricane María, Goya has once again been chosen as the brand most remembered by Puerto Rican consumers, according to the 2018 edition of “Marcas que Marcan,” a study commissioned by the Puerto Rico Sales and Marketing Executives Association.
Goya is followed by Toyota, Nike, Coca-Cola, Ace, Clorox and Casera, which made its debut in the most remembered list.
“Considering the processes that Puerto Ricans experienced after the hurricanes of September 2017, when we conducted the 2018 study, we were a little surprised that there were no major changes in the recall of brands,” said Luis Burset, director of customer service for Gaither International, while presenting the results of the study as part of the SME Marketing Summit held to mark “Marketing Week.”
“Obviously, the relationship of the Puerto Rican consumer with its brands is powerful,” he added.
For the Puerto Rican consumer, the most sought after aspect in a brand is quality (68 percent.) Also, customer service increased 9 points in relation to the previous year, becoming the third most important aspect, at the same level as the price factor, the study revealed.
When analyzing brand recall and the leadership image versus the purchase incidence, the study revealed that, in the beer category, purchase incidences remained similar to 2017 levels, but the Medalla’s image grew. The local brand is followed in top-of-mind recall by Coors Light, Heineken, Corona and Busch.
In the car category, Toyota increased its brand recall and leader image. In gasoline, Shell increased its image as a leader and its purchase incidence. It is followed by Puma, Gulf, Total and Economax.
Snickers is the most remembered brand in the sweet snack category, followed by Kellogg’s Cereal Bars, M&M, Nestlé, Bimbo, Oreo and Hershey’s.
Search for low prices varies by socioeconomic level
The study found that “the answer to the need to look for lower prices is different according to the socioeconomic level.”
The higher the socioeconomic level, the greater the loyalty to the brands and to grocery stores visited regularly, Burset said.
As for the brands that represent the most value for their money, survey participants named Goya (30 percent), Toyota, Great Value, Econo, Nike, Walmart, Coca-Cola and Casera. When asked which brands they believed best represents Puerto Rico, they include Goya (43 percent,) Medalla and Yaucono, followed by Arroz Rico, Bacardi, Ace, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Tres Monjitas, Econo and Casera.
