EE secures superbrand status
- UK’s largest and most advanced digital communications company celebrates entry into top Consumer Superbrands list for the first time
- Recognition comes just over two years after brand first launched to UK market
- EE’s new Superbrand status stands out in a list dominated by long-established brands
- Across key brand measures EE has become number one in the UK for Speed, Coverage, Innovation and for being a brand that ‘has a part to play in the future of tech’
Monday 2 March 2015 – EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company, has been awarded Consumer Superbrand status for 2015. EE’s recognition as a Superbrand sees it crowned the youngest standalone brand to make this year’s list. Inclusion in the list reinforces EE’s position as one of the fastest growing brands in the UK. Achieving Superbrand status is one of a long list of milestones for the EE brand since it launched just over two years ago in October 2012.
As the UK’s biggest and fastest mobile network, EE pioneered the UK’s first 4G service from launch and now offers superfast speeds to over 80 per cent of the population. EE hit one million customers just 10 months after launch, four months ahead of target and now services 8.3million customers on EE 4GEE plans. EE also partners with some of the biggest and best-loved institutions in British entertainment – Glastonbury Festival, Wembley Stadium and the British Film Academy Awards – enhancing each event and experience with the latest mobile technology.
EE has also received extensive independent recognition. It was named Fastest Network at Uswitch.com Mobile Awards in 2013 and 2014; Best SIM-Only network at the Uswitch.com Mobile Awards 2014; Best Overall Network in the UK by RootMetrics®; and Best Network at the 2014 Mobile News Awards, the 2014 Mobile Choice Consumer Awards and the What Mobile Awards 2014.
Spencer McHugh, Director of Brand at EE, said: “EE has built a superbrand – superfast. Since launch we have been committed to one purpose - to show people in the UK how the magic of technology can make every day better. Our brand has been built around a fundamental belief that through constant innovation we will be able to offer our customers everything they need from our network today and also guide them through the fantastic possibilities that technology will bring in the future.”
Superbrands has been identifying the UK’s leading brands since 1995. The process, managed by The Centre for Brand Analysis (TCBA), questioned 2,500 UK consumers who assessed more than 1,500 brands. Consumers judged the brands on three key criteria: quality, reliability and distinction.
For more information visit - http://www.superbrands.uk.com/ee
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For more information, please contact M&C Saatchi PR:
Lucy Keogh / lucy.keogh@mcsaatchi.com / 0207 544 3821
About EE
EE is the largest and most advanced digital communications company in Britain, delivering mobile and fixed communications services to consumers, businesses, government and the wholesale market. EE has approximately 15,000 employees and 580 retail stores, and serves more than 30 million customers across its mobile, fixed and wholesale businesses.
EE runs the UK's biggest, fastest and most reliable mobile network, pioneering the UK's first superfast 4G mobile service in October 2012. EE's 4G coverage today reaches more than 85% of the UK population. EE’s 2G coverage reaches 99% of the population while 3G reaches 98%. EE's superfast fibre broadband service covers 54% of the UK population, and ADSL broadband service covers 98.7% of the population.
In the last few years, EE has received extensive independent recognition including being ranked the UK's best overall network by RootMetrics®, Best network at the 2014 Mobile News Awards, Fastest Network at the 2013 uSwitch Awards, Best Network at the 2014 Mobile Choice Consumer Awards and What Mobile Awards 2013, Network Innovation at the 2013 Recombu awards and Best Network for Business at the 2013 Mobile Industry awards.
Notes to Editors: Consumer Superbrands 2015
For further information on Superbrands, please contact Kathryn McAuley;
T: 07748 658 441
What is Superbrands®?
Superbrands is an annual initiative to identify and celebrate the UK’s strongest consumer and B2B brands in Britain. Brands do not apply or pay to be considered for Superbrand status; rather the accolade of Superbrand is awarded after a rigorous and independent selection process (please see below for details). A selection of the strongest brands are featured in a luxurious, hardback format book, available from all good bookshops (RRP £60), Superbrands.uk.com or by contacting 020 7079 3310.
Consumer Superbrands Selection Process – Summary
The UK’s Consumer Superbrands are chosen by the British public in a national survey of 2,500 adults. Brands do not apply or pay to be considered. The public vote is the culmination of an independent selection process administered by The Centre for Brand Analysis, which considers thousands of brands from over 50 sectors.
Consumer Superbrands Selection Process – Detail
Selection Process
The annual Consumer Superbrands survey is independently administered by The Centre for Brand Analysis (TCBA). Brands do not apply or pay to be considered; rather, the selection process is conducted as follows:
- TCBA researchers compile lists of the UK’s leading business-to-consumer brands, drawing on a wide range of sources, from sector reports to blogs to public nominations. From the thousands of brands initially considered a final shortlist is created. For 2015, just over 1,500 brands were shortlisted.
- The shortlist is scored by an independent and voluntary Expert Council, which is assembled and chaired by TCBA’s chief executive. The council is refreshed each year. Bearing in mind the definition of a Consumer Superbrand, the council members individually award each brand a rating from 1–10. Council members are not allowed to score brands with which they have a direct association or are in competition to, nor do they score brands they are unfamiliar with.
- The shortlist is voted on by the consumers of those brands, accessed via an SSI online panel. For Consumer Superbrands, a nationally representative sample of over 2.500 British adult consumers was surveyed.
- The number of consumer votes received by each brand determines its position in the final rankings.
Definition of a Superbrand
When voting on the brands, both the expert council and the consumers consider the following definition of a Superbrand:
“A Superbrand has established the finest reputation in its field. It offers customers significant emotional and/or tangible advantages over other brands, which (consciously or sub-consciously) customers want and recognise.”
In addition, the experts and consumers are asked to judge brands against the following three factors:
- Quality. Does the brand represent quality products and services?
- Reliability. Can the brand be trusted to deliver consistently against its promises and maintain product and service standards at all customer touch points?
- Distinction. Is the brand not only well known in its sector but suitably differentiated from its competitors? Does it have a personality and values that make it unique within its market place?