• by Tanya Gazdik , March 12, 2020

Nintendo Switch and American Family are the “most loved brands,” offline and online respectively, based on positive conversations and referrals, according to Engagement Labs. 

Consumer conversations reveal a big difference in the most-loved brands online versus offline, according to research.

Nintendo Switch and Gain laundry detergent zoomed up on the list of brands most positively talked about in offline conversations -- both leapfrogging ahead of more than 600 brands to take the first and second “most loved” positions in Engagement Labs’ TotalSocial system. 

Online brand conversations generated a completely different list of most-loved brands -- including American Family Insurance and Great Value, a Walmart brand, earning the most positive online talk. Only one brand -- Unilever’s Dove Men + Care -- managed to rank among the most positively talked-about brands both online and offline.

Marketers desire to foster active brand advocates because positive consumer conversations about brands can accelerate and grow business. According to Engagement Labs data and analytics, 19% of all consumer purchases are driven by these kinds of consumer conversations.

Engagement Labs ranks the most-loved brands based on net positive conversations happening online (via social media) and offline (via face-to-face conversations).

"The eclectic mix of brands on our 'most loved' brands list show that brands in any category can earn positive recommendations from consumers,” said Engagement Labs CEO Ed Keller in a release. “We also see the potential for brands to improve, dramatically, as Nintendo, Gain, and CoverGirl did last year."

Many of the brands on both the online and offline lists are in the beauty category. Aveeno and Olay are among the most positively talked-about brands offline, while 7 of the 10 top online brands are in the beauty category, including Avon, Mary Kay, and Garnier Fructis.

"The beauty category has worked hard to engage online influencers, and it shows in the positive discussions these brands receive,” Keller says. “It’s a lesson for other categories, as well, that they can benefit from proactive social media campaigns."

Despite the general strength of beauty brands, several fell of the lists entirely. L’Oréal dropped off the “most loved” offline list, from number 8 in 2018 to 34 in 2019. In terms of positive online conversations, Estee Lauder fell from 8 to 46, and Neutrogena fell from 9 to 73.