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Brand Keys has released its “2010 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index.”   It is interesting to see the winners and losers in 2010 given last year’s economy.  Hyundai, whom we have talked about before, leaped to the top of the automobile ranking (from the bottom third in 2009).  We talk about customer equity and lifetime value of customers in chapter 2 in our books.

The annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Winners are those brands best able to engage consumers and create loyal customers. Initiated in 1997, the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index is fielded annually in the spring and fall. The current Index examines customers’ relationships with 518 brands in 71 categories.

You can read what Brandweek has to say at “Report:  Starbucks, Wells Fargo Surge in Customer Loyalty,” (January 30, 2010).

Ben Sturner, president and founder of sports marketing firm The Leverage Agency, talks about ambush advertising (The Wall Street Journal, June 22, 2010).  This is where a non-sponsor advertises around a sports event, diluting the benefits of the official sponsor, often confusing consumers who might believe the “ambusher” is the real sponsor.  When I worked at Kodak years ago, we lost sponsorship of the Olympics to Fuji — but Kodak ambushed Fuji and most consumers thought Kodak was the official sponsor.  You could show this during class when talking about Promotion and particularly sponsorship.  This might be relevant with a few big upcoming sporting events (Super Bowl and Winter Olympics).  It certainly raises ethical questions.  An instructor might also talk about how this effects the value of the sponsorship and what an event might do to minimize the effects of ambush advertising.