Uber has topped the list of Australia's most disruptive brands, showing that consumers believe the dominant ride sharing company provides a seamless service – from booking to payment.
The result comes from branding agency Principals, in conjunction with research firm The Navigators, who based their most recent Brand Alpha study on what they see as the four key drivers of authenticity – visibility, value, vitality and virtue.
The study, conducted through April and May, questioned which brands local consumers see as the most disruptive, as well as what sectors they would most like to see disrupted.
The full list (below) of Australia's most disruptive brands features only one local company, the retail payment startup Afterpay, which is also one of the most recently formed brands.
Australia's Most Disruptive Brands
1. Uber
2. Tesla
3. Aldi
4. Afterpay
5. Airbnb
6. Netflix
7. Amazon
8. ApplePay
9. Facebook
10. Google
Founder and planning director at Principals, Wayde Bull, said: “Authentic disruptors combine purpose, personality and strong value appeal, all wrapped in a beautifully designed customer experience.”
The Brand Alpha research is conducted several times a year and has been running for more than a decade, with a minimum of 300 respondents each time.
Bull also pointed out that disruptive brands often attract disloyal consumers, and that once their initial impact on the market passes, they should reconsider their position in order to maintain their leader status.
In short, Bull said, if a brand intends to stay at the top for the long haul, they need to look at creating a “warmer, more welcoming personality” heading towards the future.
The Brand Alpha study also revealed the “sitting ducks” that consumers would love to see disrupted, including Foxtel, Stan, Dodo, Jetstar and Australia's big four banks.
Interestingly, a list of brands that were once viewed as disruptors but are now seen as tamer also emerged. These include Aussie Home Loans, Virgin Australia, Optus, Ikea and Tigerair.
“These are businesses that have either dialled back their fighting spirit, been swallowed by larger rivals or have ‘normalised’ as familiar mainstream brands and now run the risk of attack from next-gen brands,” Bull said.
Further information revealed by the study showed the sectors consumers would most like to see disrupted, including energy utilities, health insurers, government services, free-to-air TV, public transport, postal services, insurance and grocery shopping.
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