Sep 27, 2007 6:03 AM, PROMO Xtra

Financial services giant ING and automaker Honda ranked at the top of the list for customer brand experience, according to a new study.

Toyota, Volkswagen, Southwest Airlines, Radisson, GM, Hyatt, Westin and The Home Depot rounded out the top 10, the study from RTC Relationship Marketing found.

In addition, ING ranked No.1 for the sense of community its customers feel with other users of the brand. It also rose to the top of the list for "listening and addressing customer concerns," followed by Honda and Southwest Airlines.

Sesame Street and Wonderful World of Disney were second and third after ING on the criterion of "sense of community with other brand users," the study found.

When it came to “meeting needs and worth a premium,” Honda, ING and Toyota ranked highest.

The top three brands by experience ranking by category included the following:

Airlines: Southwest, JetBlue and Continental
Auto: Honda, Toyota and General Motors
Banking: ING, Wachovia and Wells Fargo
Internet: Verizon, Google and AT&T
Hotel: Radisson, Hyatt and Westin
Specialty Retail: Home Depot, Bath & Body Works and Best Buy
TV Programming: Sesame Street, Wonderful World of Disney and Oprah
Mobile: Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Motorola

Honorable mentions not ranked due to low base sizes included: Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Volkswagen, Apple iPhone, Virgin Atlantic Airlines and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the company said.

"This study clearly demonstrates how brand experience can be leveraged as a major differentiator, even among leading brands," said RTCRM CEO Barry Kessel in a statement. "While marketers spend billions on brand awareness and acquiring new customers, it's equally important and highly profitable to keep customers happy and committed by delivering a positive experience. It just makes good business sense."

The study ranked leading brands from Young & Rubicam's BrandAsset Valuator, the world's largest ongoing brand study. Data was compiled from an Internet survey of 1,035 adults 18 or older conducted the week of Sept. 10, 2007, by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, a market research firm.

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