Wealthiest 10% of Americans Name Top Quality Brands for 8 Products in New Survey

The seventh in a continuing series of twice-yearly surveys by The American Affluence Research Center (AARC) reveals the brands considered to have the highest quality, regardless of price, by the wealthiest 10% of Americans, the 11 million households representing about half of all consumer income and spending, a third of the total US economy, and 70% of the personal wealth of Americans.

Just released, the AARC report, The Luxury Market: Spring 2005 Survey of Affluent Americans, shows the affluent named Rolex, Cartier, and Tag Heuer as the top three brands for quality, regardless of price, for lady's fine watches. For lady's fine jewelry, Tiffany, Cartier, and David Yurman were the top three brands. For man's fine watches, Rolex, Tag Heuer, and Seiko were the top three brands.

For automobiles, Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus were at the top. For major home appliances, the affluent named General Electric, Sub-Zero, and Viking most frequently. In home entertainment equipment, Sony was dominant and no came close. In the cruise line category, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and Princess were named more often than the luxury brands.

Some slight differences in the rankings were evident by gender, age, and level of wealth. These differences tended to favor the less frequently named brands.

The one category where men and women differed most significantly was in lady's designer/couture apparel. The women named Ralph Lauren, Armani, and Jones of New York as their top three brands. The men placed St. Johns and Chanel at the top of their list.

This information is based on a national survey of 346 men and women in the wealthiest 10% of American households. The survey participants have an average income of $369,000 and an average net worth of $2.7 million.

Ron Kurtz is a principal of The American Affluence Research Center and The Management Resource Group. Both companies provide marketing research and strategic planning services to prominent clients in the travel and hospitality industries, especially those targeting the affluent market.

Prior to founding MRG in 1989, Ron's experience included over 20 years in senior management positions in the airline, hotel, and tour business. As the founding President of Sea Goddess Cruises, he created the product category of small deluxe ships for the very affluent. He also served as the chief marketing officer of four cruise lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line and Windstar Cruises.

Ron has been a key contributor to 6 start ups and 11 turnarounds of substantial businesses. He earned his MBA at Harvard Business School.

For further information: http://www.affluenceresearch.org and http://www.mrgconsultants.com

---

Brand Identity and the CEO

This week I spent a few hours with a highly... Read More

Branding Your Business To Make More Money

Branding your comapny should be the first thing a company... Read More

Eye On The Pie: Branding From an Investors P.O.V.

When building a business as a brand it's important to... Read More

Nike / Sears / Kmart

The Sears-Kmart merger hopes to fabricate some sort of silver... Read More

Donald Trump On Branding - Brand Identity Guru

Love him or hate him, one thing is certain: Donald... Read More

Multi-Brand Franchises in the QSR Sector

Well not everyone is aware that McDonalds also owns several... Read More

Brand Positioning - Brand Image

That cross-trainer you're wearing -- one look at the distinctive... Read More

Business Case Study Automotive Detailing Franchise Company

How do automotive detailing companies start? What makes them work... Read More

Great Brands Depend On Attention To The Brand Architecture

Do you have the architecture in place to make sure... Read More

Brand Your Consulting Brilliance

Today's competitive marketplace for consulting services is no longer responsive... Read More

Trademark Your Business ? Lessons Learned

Small business owners learn many lessons the hard way -... Read More

Whats In A Name? When It Comes To Your Business, Plenty!

Q: How important is the name of a business? Should... Read More

Is It Legal? - Indecent Naming With Tradition

When Mitsubishi launched a new car with the name "Pajero"... Read More

Brand Identity Guru - Is Your Brand Vital?

The world is not waiting for you?or your product or... Read More

Brand Your Name!

Have you ever thought about branding your name? Does the... Read More

Franchising is Virtually Fraud Free

The number of complaints to the Federal Trade Commission on... Read More

Trademark: Do I Need One for My Business Name and Logo?

Wondering if a trademark is important to you as a... Read More

Don?t Get Caught In the Trap: The BIG Difference Between Personal and Business Branding

When you're all alone in the privacy of your home... Read More

Brand Equity Building - Measuring Brand Value

Measuring brand equity allows a company to establish a baseline... Read More

Branding Your Radio or TV Campaign With A Musical Identity (aka Audo Logo, aka Jingle)

You don't think twice about a business card and letterhead... Read More

Brand Building 101

Building your brand into a brand leader isn't easy. There... Read More

Standing Under the Umbrella And Still Getting Wet

Make More Money Making a Name for YourselfCalling all realtors,... Read More

All About Branding

In this article i will explain how you can make... Read More

Brand Equity

Brand equity can be defined in many different ways. I... Read More

Living Your Brand on the Web - Part 1

OK, so you took the plunge and purchased your internet... Read More

Franchisor Policies for Unlicensed or Sold Territories

Franchisors often have issues when they own a brand which... Read More

Corporate Logo Design ? 6 Keys to Success

A corporate logo design should be highly instrumental in building... Read More

Naming Names... How to Name your Business

Sometimes the best inspiration comes from hearing about the deconstruction... Read More

What About Me? What You Need To Know About Me-Marketing

What about me? Are you asking yourself this question? If... Read More

Effective Branding...Whats in a Name!

Ask any marketing executive and they will tell you that... Read More

Brand Name Identity in the Oil Business

I submit to you that Brand Name Identity in the... Read More

Planning Ahead With Your Designer: Tips For Design Consistency With Your Logo And Brand Elements

While we recommend that you contract with the same designer... Read More

Branding: What Not to Do

Here's a little story about what not to do as... Read More