Middle East megabrand Almarai is the most positively perceived brand in Saudi Arabia according to the 2016 Annual Best Brand Rankings - released Wednesday by global market research company YouGov. The 2016 Annual Best Brand Rankings which launched across 24 countries globally, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, are compiled using the Buzz score from YouGov's daily flagship brand tracker - BrandIndex. Buzz asks residents daily if they have ‹heard anything positive or negative about a brand in the last two weeks through advertising, news or word-of-mouth'. Respondents are interviewed on YouGov's online panel. Almarai has continued to win positive appeal among residents throughout 2016 holding on to the number 1 position. The largest vertically integrated dairy producer in the Middle East ignited social media in 2016 with the launch of its film on mother's milk and its family-focused advertising. The mother's milk video became the second most shared video on YouTube in the world in just one week and came in globally as the 7th most shared video of 2016. This also made the brand the third most popular FMCG brand on Facebook with over 45 million views. WhatsApp, one of the world's most popular messaging app's, has moved up substantially in the Buzz rankings - from fifth place in 2015, to second place in 2016. The Facebook-owned app has gained significant popularity in the region, and is one of the most popular modes of communication in Saudi Arabia. The introduction of end-to-end encryption providing full protection to users' privacy was a welcome comfort to WhatsApp account holders in the Kingdom this year. Apple holds on to its third place position for the second year. With the release of the new mac book pro, iOS 10 Software, the Apple Watch Series 2 and the iPhone 7 with wireless AirPods, Apple has had a year of updated releases. This slew of releases has served to solidify Apple's rank, and the brand remains in third place. Al Baik maintains its position at number 4 and has been making the headlines for its Corporate Social Responsibility throughout 2016 helping to keep it in the top 5. The brand's "Please Park It Right" community initiative received the Global SABRE Award as one of the world's top 40 CSR programs at the end of 2015. 2016 saw the Kingdom's leading quick service chicken restaurant hit the headlines for switching off its lights to mark earth hour and sponsoring the Fourth Saudi Youth Sports Initiative aimed at enriching the lives of youth and contributing to the development of soccer and basketball in Jeddah. With the release of the much awaited iPhone 7 models, the smartphone brand has moved up one place in Saudi Arabia. The introduction of water-resistance and an improved camera to the phone were very much welcomed by consumers, which has helped elevate the brand to fifth place in the rankings. The world's largest video-streaming website YouTube has jumped two places in the BrandIndex rankings since last year. Owing to the continued increase in content, as well as the introduction of 4k and 360° video, the platform continues to grow in popularity in the region. Samsung has come in at seventh place after falling from second place in the 2015 rankings. Samsung has gone through a tough period with the company recall of some 2.5 million Note 7 devices following multiple battery issues worldwide, however Samsung has still maintained high levels of positive Buzz in the Kingdom throughout 2016. The release of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge pink gold version of its latest smartphone exclusively for the Saudi market helped boost Samsung's BrandIndex scores. Saudi Arabia's flagship airline enters the Annual BestBrand Rankings for the first time at eighth position. Saudia has made a series of exciting announcements in recent months including fleet retirement and renewal for the coming year, new flight routes, and the delivery of its first A330-300 Regional aircraft which will boost capacity on several of Saudi Arabian Airlines' most in-demand routes. 2016 also saw the carrier win Platinum status for Fast Travel implementation from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Toyota is another new entry to the Annual BestBrand Rankings. New launches, announcements and coveted awards see Toyota land 9th place. During 2016 the popular car brand achieved success at the 2016 Middle East Car of the Year (MECOTY) Awards winning Best Midsize Sedan and Best Midsize Truck. Toyota also chose Saudi Arabia to make its GCC debut launch of the new 2016 Toyota Prius. A partnership with Uber also hit the headlines following the announcement the two brands will create new leasing options in which car purchasers can lease their vehicles from Toyota Financial Services. Entering the Annual BestBrand Rankings in Saudi Arabia for the first time and landing in 10th position is Emirates Airline. The past year saw Emirates through both tough and good times, however the airline brand seems to have capitalized on the positive and softened the negatives. The airline most notably caught consumer attention with brand Ambassador Jennifer Anniston re appearing in a new advertising campaign for 2016, helping boost its buzz scores and push the brand into the top 10. "Saudi Arabia's best brands for 2016 have combined technological innovation and campaigns for social responsibility to buoy public perception over the year." said Scott Booth, Head of Data Products MENA at YouGov "Brands that not only adopt communications meaningful to citizens of the Kingdom, but also adopt and promote behaviors and products that improve the lives of Saudis are consistently winning public appeal." — SG
