A new AI-driven survey ranks 112 major German brands by trust and preference. dm and Lindt lead, while Bild, Temu, and Deutsche Bahn fall behind. High ad spend does not guarantee brand loyalty.
Media and publishing professionals tracking brand perception and audience trust now have new data to consider. The latest Brand Experience Survey, conducted by Markenkraft and Neuroflash, uses AI-driven digital twins to evaluate 112 of Germany’s most heavily advertised brands. The results challenge assumptions about the impact of advertising budgets on consumer trust and brand preference.
According to the survey, dm leads the ranking with 79 out of 100 points, closely followed by Lindt at 77. At the bottom are Bild (24), Temu (28), and Deutsche Bahn (29). The study, initiated by former BBDO executive Uwe Munzinger, replaces traditional survey panels with AI-based digital twins, which the authors say enables faster and more cost-effective analysis of brand perception. These digital twins are built on data from over one million respondents and produced more than 22,000 individual evaluations.
Munzinger attributes dm’s strong performance to its consistent brand experience, customer proximity, and robust private label strategy, both online and offline. He notes that dm excels in trust, consistency, and everyday utility, though it scores lower on being perceived as 'interesting.' The survey highlights that reliability often outweighs excitement, and dm’s appeal spans generations, from Gen Z to Boomers.
In the telecommunications sector, the data reveals that high advertising spend does not always translate to higher trust or preference. Brands like 1&1 and Vodafone, despite significant ad investments, lag behind in these metrics, while Congstar achieves better results with a smaller budget. Volkswagen is cited as another example: despite spending around 197 million euros on advertising, it scores only 32 points for trust. The survey also uncovers generational differences, with brands like Audi and Knorr showing wide gaps in perception between Gen Z and Baby Boomers.
Munzinger points out that German automakers now rank only in the middle tier, citing a disconnect between brand promises and the actual product experience, especially regarding electric vehicles and software. He suggests that genuine product improvements, rather than image campaigns, are needed to close the gap with Asian competitors.
The study identifies a consistent brand experience as the key driver of brand preference. Brands that are seen as useful, distinctive, consistent, and interesting perform best. The use of AI-based digital twins marks a methodological shift, allowing for rapid, scalable, and cost-efficient measurement of brand perception. Neuroflash’s Jonathan Mall emphasizes the efficiency of this approach, noting that 22,375 individual judgments across 112 brands and four generations were collected in days rather than months. However, he also acknowledges that while digital twins provide direction and ranking, human interpretation remains essential.
The Brand Experience Survey will be updated regularly and made available through an interactive online platform. For those interested in how AI is reshaping brand measurement and safety, a related discussion on contextual AI in advertising can be found in this analysis of evolving brand safety tactics.
