M&S has been named the UK’s most prominent online grocery brand, beating the likes of Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s to the top spot.
According to the research, M&S is the market leader when it comes to brand awareness within the online grocery sector, with over 4 million searches per month and an owned social score of 14,368.
Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s had more brand searches per month (at 7.5 million, 6.1 million and 5 million respectively), but M&S far outweighed them when it came to its social score, which was calculated by combining the number of followers and engagement rate across all major social platforms.
Supermarket giant Tesco, which was the second most prominent brand in the sector, had an owned social score of 6,749 and over 3.8 million social media followers.
The annual report from Salience Search Marketing looks at 11 performance indicators for online grocery brands, including year-on-year visibility, search volume trends and brand awareness, to reveal the names dominating the industry.
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The online visibility of brands was also ranked, with scores depending on the achievement score of their growth, and based on the level of impact a decline may bring to a brand.
M&S showed the highest growth in brand visibility, with the data revealing that the retailer had an 8% year-on-year increase. Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Waitrose and Co-op also made it into the top five.
In contrast, Asda saw the biggest drop, with a 1% decrease year-on-year, while Tesco’s failure to make it into the top five was a notable drop from its place in pole position last year.
“The increase in demand within the industry indicates a successful strategy, with this period crucial for brands to continue amplifying their online presence to gain prominence in the year ahead,” said Salience Search Marketing managing director Brett James.
“Nowadays, online food shopping has become a favoured route for many as a more efficient option than a trip to the supermarket. Amidst the recession, consumers have become more wary of prices and are assessing brands for the best value for money, with this a key factor for brands to consider.”
He added: “Brands will need to look at M&S for inspiration, as the supermarket trumps as the most prominent brand and biggest growth in visibility.
“Overall, building a strong following and online presence across multiple channels becomes vital in driving sales and capitalising on the expanding market demand.”
