Nokia, Vodafone, Flipkart top Nielsen consumer rankings

Moneycontrol Bureau

Mobile handset maker Nokia, cellular services company Vodafone, online retailer Flipkart and WhatsApp messenger for smartphones figure among the top brands in consumer rankings published by Nielsen India on Wednesday. This is the first time that the research firm has launched consumer rankings for India. The company is well known in business circles for providing consumer information, FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) market shares, TV and other media measurement to its clients, which include consumer goods makers, retailers media and phone companies. The Nielsen India Consumer Rankings, which will be updated periodically, are currently for six categories -- smartphone apps, mobile handsets, mobile operators, books, E-Tailing (online retail) websites and international travel preferences. According to the rankings, Vodafone is the top mobile operator followed by Airtel and Idea, Nokia still remains the top mobile company, ahead of Samsung and Blackberry and Singapore is the most visited destination for both business and leisure. The rankings will be on a pan-India level and there will also be select city rankings for Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune, Nielsen said. These rankings will be for lifestyle categories and aim to inform consumers and simplify their decision making, said Ranjeet Laungani, VP, Nielsen India. "These rankings will provide the average urban Indian with a neutral, fact-based consumer view on everyday categories that are relevant to them...These will enable the Indian consumer to validate choices and make empowered lifestyle decisions," he said. For now, these rankings will be restricted to the six categories and will be limited to naming the top brands in each category. However, Laungani said that the rankings, which will be available on Nielsen's website as well as via an app for android smartphones, will keep evolving and new features and categories will be added in the future. Education and healthcare are among new categories currently being explored, he said. Nielsen says 6,000 people were surveyed for the mobile handset and mobile operator rankings, 2,500 surveyed for international travel destinations and 1,000 for e-tailing. Also Read: Civil Aviation Authority to replace DGCA, says Ajit Singh Nachiket Kelkar
nachiket.kelkar@network18online.com