Apple still ‘coolest brand in Britain’

Apple has retained its title as the coolest brand in Britain for a fourth year, but challengers are emerging in the form of Netflix and Instagram, according to an annual survey.

The CoolBrands top 20 has seen luxury names lose out to make way for six new entries including the home system Sonos, as its more established competitors Bose and Sony dropped out.

Other new entries are Spotify and Adidas. The first appearance on the list for the Royal Albert Hall follows a contemporary programme featuring the likes of veteran DJ Pete Tong and singer songwriter Emeli Sandé.

Other brands to lose their place are Selfridges, Dom Perignon, Rolex, and Stella McCartney.

Streaming service Netflix rose from 10th place last year to fifth. Instagram rose from 14th to seventh.

The list is voted by 2,500 consumers and a panel of 36 “key influencers”, which this year included musicians Ella Eyre and Labrinth.

Voters were asked to bear in mind style, innovation, originality, authenticity, desirability and uniqueness when listing their selections.

CoolBrands spokesman Stephen Cheliotis said: “Attaining top 20 CoolBrands status takes time and isn’t the result of a one year fad or flash in the pan.

“Young brands however, like Netflix and Instagram, are showing clear momentum. They are moving up the top 20 at a decent pace and posing a threat to established sector peers, suggesting they’ll challenge the leading brand overall.

“How long Apple hangs on to pole is hard to predict, but as the initial excitement around new products dies down, evaluation on how pioneering these are could be telling.”