Ethical ads boost Co-ops reputation

Perception of the Co-operative Group’s brands appear to have benefited from February’s £10m ethical banking campaign.

The “General” impression of the brand, as measured by YouGov’s BrandIndex has steadily risen since the February 16 launch of the campaign which broke with an ad featuring Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” and took up an entire ad break during Coronation Street.

The rating climbed from a New Year low of 7 on January 2 to hit a recent high of 19 on March 11 before settling at 15 on April 3.

The activity, which emphasised the Group’s ethical credentials, has also had a positive affect on its “Quality” score, which charts whether people believe a company offers good or poor quality products and services irrespective of price.

The Co-operative’s rating rose from 6 on the February 12 to as high as 12 last month before settling at 10 last week.

Customers of the Co-operative Group’s services also appear to be more willing to recommended the brand since the launch of the campaign. Its “Recommended” score rose from 8 on the February 13 to 16 on March 26.

Last week, it emerged the Group is reviewing its advertising, media and other supplier relationships following the £1.6bn acquisition of former supermarket rival Somerfield.

It plans to review all existing contracts across its entire operations as part of the merger process, including supermarkets, funeral care, travel and financial service divisions.