This paper identifies the brands most preferred by customers in selected product and service categories. This was done in two steps. In the first step, 300 respondents in the age category of 18-25 years were asked to list down the products or services they frequently use. Based on this, 38 products/services across seven categories were identified for further study. In the second step, 500 respondents in the same age group were asked to reveal their most preferred brand in each of the selected product categories. Some of the product categories were car, shampoo, health supplement, electronic items, etc. The top two brands used by the respondents in each category were identified. As the data collected was nominal, a Run test (a nonparametric test to check for randomness in the data) was applied to find out the most preferred brand out of two shortlisted brands in each product category. Maruti in cars, Colgate in oral care, Coke in soft drinks, Dettol in hand wash, Nike in sportswear, Samsung in mobile phones and Airtel among mobile service providers were identified as the most preferred brands in their respective categories.

A successful brand is a key driver in the success of a company, as it helps customers to differentiate competitive offerings in the same product category. But what is a brand and why is the success of a company so interlinked with the building of strong and powerful brands? According to Ambler and Styles (1996), a brand is the promise of the bundles of attributes that someone buys, and which provides satisfaction.

Branding is a key issue that defines the life of a product, and hence of the organization in the market place. To be successful in a highly competitive market, a brand must provide some differential advantage. The need to build a brand arises as the product or service provider has to differentiate one’s offering from those of competitors. This differentiation provides competitive advantage to firms and helps in building strong brands. Strong brands help the organization to connect with the customers and elicit differential response. Building strong brands offer a number of advantages in terms of increase in market share and generating positive consumer responses.

Brand Management Journal, Selection, Methodology, Information, Communication and Telecommunication (ICT), Sampling Technique, Data Collection Tool, Data Analysis, Most Preferred Brands.