WICHITA, Kan., Aug. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RSM Marketing Services has released the findings of its 4th annual Kansas Brand Power consumer survey conducted by the Wichita Consumer Research Center to measure the unaided recall power of the state's top brands.
The online survey, conducted in August 2017, asked 1,000 Kansans to name three Kansas-based brands they think are the most famous in the nation. The findings represent consumer sentiment, as well as the ability of each brand to accurately and powerfully project themselves.
According to the survey, the top Kansas-based brand is Koch, followed closely by Garmin and Sprint.
“After many years of downplaying their brand, the Koch brand continues to rise,” said Bruce Rowley, Managing Partner at RSM Marketing. “Koch has made investments to be more visible in recruiting and political activities and it shows as they extended their brand strength lead from our last survey.”
The Top 20 most powerful Kansas-based brands for 2017 are:
| 1. Koch | 11. Boulevard Brewing |
| 2. Garmin | 12. Russell Stover |
| 3. Sprint | 13. Payless |
| 4. Pizza Hut | 14. Beechcraft |
| 5. Coleman | 15. Hills Science Diet |
| 6. Cessna | 16. Freddy's |
| 7. Boeing | 17. Free State Brewing |
| 8. KU/Jayhawks | 18. Applebees |
| 9. Hallmark | 19. Dillons |
| 10. Cerner | 20. Learjet |
Koch Industries moved from 10th place in 2014 to barely snag the top spot in 2015 and has now extended that lead by several points ahead of Garmin and Sprint. Older brands that are no longer based in Kansas, such as Pizza Hut, Coleman and Boeing, still rank highly but their results are weakening and are close to being overcome by new up-and-coming Kansas-based brands.
“We’re thrilled to see some younger brands rising quickly into the top 20 such as Cerner, Boulevard Brewery, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Free State Brewery,” says Mike Snyder, Managing Partner at RSM Marketing Services. “It’s also interesting to note that this year’s survey resulted in the smallest percentage of respondents who couldn’t name any Kansas-based brands that are nationally known.”
As in previous surveys, The University of Kansas Jayhawks are the sole sports brand to make the top 20 in 2017. The Kansas City Royals and Chiefs were just outside the top 20 and Sporting KC made its first showing in the results. After a surge in the last survey, the Kansas State University Wildcats and Wichita State University Shockers dropped in the rankings.
Below are the Top 10 results from the 2015 survey: (no survey was taken in 2016)
| 1. Koch | 11. Sprint |
| 2. Pizza Hut | 12. Boeing |
| 3. KU/Jayhawks | 13. Kroger |
| 4. Garmin | 14. Cessna |
| 5. Coleman | 15. Boulevard |
About RSM Marketing
RSM Marketing Services offers clients the most comprehensive range of in-house marketing services in the region. Founded in 2010, RSM plans and executes marketing strategies for a wide variety of high-growth clients. RSM’s expanded service offerings include Hydraulic Studio, 360Ideas and 360Wichita.com/360KC.com. Hydraulic Studio specializes in industrial video and photography. 360Ideas specializes in online and digital marketing — providing website design and development, online advertising, online content marketing and more. 360Wichita.com & 360KC.com are leading local business and event directories. More information about RSM Marketing can be found at rsmconnect.com
About Wichita Consumer Research Center
The Wichita Consumer Research Center is a full-service consumer research facility with the ability to recruit, host and report on focus groups, surveys and more in Wichita, Kansas. Wichita Consumer Research Center utilizes a range of recruiting techniques, based on the project needs and budget. Using exclusive partnerships with leading local online media properties, recruiting can often be completed quickly and cost efficiently. More information about Wichita Consumer Research Center can be found at https://www.wichitaresearch.com/.
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