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Apple slips while Huawei gains in brand preference survey

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Harmeet
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BOSTON, USA: Apple's brand preference rating fell by 5.1 points between Q2 and Q4 2013, one of the weakest performances of 21 major technology brands in the latest survey published by Strategy Analytics' ConsumerMetrix service.

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Of particular concern to Apple is that its rating fell furthest in its core affluent and younger demographics. Samsung remained in first place, gaining ground in continental Europe but falling back in the US and UK. The best performance came from Chinese brand Huawei with an increase of 3.8 points since Q2 2013 and strong gains in upper income segments.

The brand preference rating is an indication of the balance between consumers who say they would choose a brand and those who would not, when buying technology products such as computers, mobile phones, TVs and related products, based on a survey of 6180 respondents in the US and Europe.

Other conclusions from the survey included:

* Apple's weak performance may be attributed to its relative lack of new product introductions.

* While still an emerging brand, Huawei's recent improvement suggests that its early marketing efforts are already having an impact.

* Blackberry (down 11.9 points) and Motorola (down 6.1) saw the biggest declines, reflecting the difficulties of these brands in recent times.

"Apple's challenge is to stem the flow away from its stronghold segments while expanding its presence across other income and age demographics," says David Mercer, principal analyst and the report's author. "Our research shows that none of today's leading technology brands can afford to rest on their laurels as newcomers such as Huawei are ready to provide serious competition."

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