Tesco may have the largest market share, but Waitrose has the best online reputation according to latest research

The Kaizo Advocacy Index (KAI) is a bi-annual audit of online reputation, which looks at digital news and social media outlets to rank UK household brands including supermarkets, airlines, mobile operators, cereals and computer manufacturers. Looking at the reputations of the major supermarkets shows that Waitrose is the brand which is talked about most favourably, while Tesco fails to connect with people online.

Supermarket KAI Score

Rhodri Harries, managing director of Kaizo, analyses the findings: “Our latest Kaizo Advocacy Index reveals that brands who communicate with consumers in a creative and engaging way will generate positive conversations online.

Supermarket promoter/detractor profile

“Of the five sectors we researched, the supermarkets as a whole tend to receive strong scores, largely thanks to the competitive nature of the sector. Battles to win over customers, particularly over the vital Christmas season, lead to well-publicised price wars that generate news and comments across online channels.

“Many supermarkets also regularly engage directly with their customers. Take Waitrose for example – its Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal Christmas recipe app was a great way of getting people talking about the brand online.

“Sainsbury’s launch of a heart-shaped cucumber for Valentine’s Day story was one of my favourite stories of the whole report and goes to show that a strong, fun creative can cut through in social media as well as above the line.

“Tesco is an interesting case as its considerable market share is not reflected in online reputation. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the report shows Tesco was adversely affected by news that it was monopolising markets by moving into beauty therapy and even car dealership. Tesco seems to be the supermarket that people love to hate and if it is to improve its online reputation, the company must show that it is putting its customers before profits.”
 Methodology

The KAI ranks a brand based on a methodology that emulates the way consumers and businesses assess brands online, looking at what they actually find when they search through Google and social media search tools.

The KAI combines qualitative information on the internet with a quantitative scoring system. The basis for the metric is the Net Promoter Score, developed by Bain & Co, Satmetrix Systems and Fred Reichheld. This calculates both negative and positive recommendations for a brand or its products/services and provides a resultant score based on this.

As well as Google searches, the research incorporates findings from Facebook and Twitter. Research was conducted in February 2011 over a two-week period. This is the eighth study.