Apple has claimed the title of top UK storytelling brand of the year, according to an Aesop annual report.
The global tech company retained its number one spot from last year, with Macmillan Cancer Support and the National Trust finishing in second and third place respectively.
The highest-ranking brands with B2B arms include Google – a new entry – in ninth, Facebook a place behind in 10th, and Virgin Atlantic in 17th, rising an impressive 46 places from last year.
Now in its third year, the survey comprises 2800 UK adults discussing their views on 154 major brands.
Respondents were asked to rate the brands against nine categories, including whether they felt the brand had ‘a clear sense of purpose and vision’ and if they felt they ‘produce content [they] want to share or talk about’.
The highest-ranking bank was Nationwide in 57th place, with Santander finishing in 60th place and Lloyds in 90th.
Ed Woodcock, director of narrative at Aesop, commented: “As ever, those brands with a strong sense of mission do well in our storytelling survey. Their purposes for being, make their narratives heroic and their storytelling clear and compelling. Those brands that have lost a sense of who they are and why they exist have taken a tumble.”
He added: “Social media brands, which are platforms for other people’s stories, score highly against storytelling criteria, although they may benefit from borrowed credit for the content generated by their users.”
