Buzziest Brands 2019: Top brands within different product categories

We studied 24 product categories in all.

Other than the list of the top 10 Buzziest brands, we have also awarded the top three brands in each product category. With some old-schoolers and some new entrants, almost all brands were covered in the list offered to voters.

We studied 24 product categories in all. In each category, our voters (popular plus jury) chose three brands that they deemed to be the Buzziest, from a list. (For more details on methodology and jurors, please read our main buzzy brands coverage).

Click on the image to see the complete table

No new additions have been made in any category, but the 'telecom' category has been dropped.

A look at how brands ranked within their respective categories this year:-

Airlines

Jet Airways is second runner up of Airlines category

This year, Air India has dethroned the last two-time champ Indigo by a small margin. Indigo settled at the second position while the last-time-eliminated Jet Airways bounced back to No. 3. Last year's runner up Spice Jet and new entrant Emirates settled at the No.4 and No. 5 spots respectively. Germany based Lufthansa and Malaysian airline - Air Asia, seem to have missed their flights this time.

Apparel, Fashion, Accessories

Trends change! And so did the entries in this category. This year, the awardees of this category are completely different from last year's. The international sportswear brand Nike has dethroned the 2018 crowned, Titan-owned Fastrack (both failed to qualify in the top 5) to become the Buzziest brand in this category. Marginally, on the lower side of the votes than the winner, is Puma, followed by Adidas. New entrant Levi's has replaced Raymond and secured the fourth spot followed by the latter. Bata and Jockey have been chucked out from this year's top 5. Seems like sportswear and accessories were in trend this year.

Automotive

BMW tops Automotive category

'Luxury' seems to have driven a lot of buzz in this category. Last year's winner - Maruti Suzuki is out of the race and was replaced by BMW followed by Audi and Jaguar. This year's top 3 are all about class and luxury. Honda made it to the fourth spot and is followed by Tata Motors. What's noteworthy is that while Tata Motors stands last among the top 5, it is the only brand from this category to make it to the main Buzzies list. It recently created quite a stir in the industry with its Tata Nexon, the first made and sold in India car to achieve Global NCAP's coveted five-star crash-test rating.

Banking

Paytm tops BFSI category

RuPay and BHIM are second runner up in BFSI category

Like last year, mobile-wallet-cum-e-commerce-cum-payments-bank player, Paytm has been crowned the winner in this category. Beating counterparts by a sizeable margin, the brand has yet again proved its worth in an already cluttered market by acting as a one-stop portal offering multiple solutions. Initially, riding on the Demonetisation wave, Paytm wallet payment is now accepted by almost all online shopping portals and major offline stores as well. The largest bank in India, State Bank of India has bagged the second spot while the third spot is shared by Modi-launched payment app, BHIM and RuPay.

Building and Industrial Material

Havells tops Building and Industrial Material category

Asian Paint is runner up in Building and Industrial Material category

This category was introduced last year. This year we have 3 paint brands in the top 5. The top positions have been swapped by Havells followed by Asian Paints. International paint brand, Dulux stood at No. 3. From the bathroom fitting sub-segment, Kajaria has retained their spot while Jaquar was dropped. The new addition in this category is Berger Paints.

Cold Beverages

Coke has topped this category for three years in a row now, dominating the cold beverages segment. The rest of the spots have seen a jumble over the years including this year. New entrants - Appy Fizz and Mango flavoured drink, Maaza - have secured the second and third positions respectively, while last year's runner-up, Paper Boat was knocked out. Interestingly, Pepsi, which had created quite a buzz last year for not making it into the top 5, has secured the fourth spot this year and is followed by Thums Up.

Computer and IT Sector

Apple tops Computer and IT category

Apple has bagged the top spot again (2017 category winner) after being beaten by Microsoft last year. Round the year releases across its products (iPhone, iPod, Mac) seems to have kept the buzz going for the brand. The brand was also successful in making it to the main Buzzies list at seventh place. HP is back again at the second spot after being knocked out from the top 5 last year. Dell has managed to stand on third with a nail-biting loss (by votes) to the runner-up. It is followed by Microsoft and Lenovo while Canon and Micromax could not find a place on the list this year.

Confectionery, Chocolates

Cadbury tops chocolates category

Kit Kat is runner up in chocolates category

Cadbury (2018 winner) has this year dominated the charts with two of its products in the top 5 categories. Cadbury Dairy Milk stands tall at the No. 1 spot while Cadbury 5 Star is the new entrant. On the other hand, Kit Kat has replaced Snickers to bag the No. 2 spot. Parle bagged the No. 4 spot and Nestle is out. In the race for quite some time, none of the brands in this category could make it to the main Buzzies list.

Consumer Durables

Sony is runner up in Consumer Durables category

Last year, Samsung had the most noteworthy exit from the top 5. This year, it has topped the list. Such is the impact of this brand which is currently in a tussle with Xiaomi to regain its spot in the mobile segment India. The brand is now bringing its focus back into the mid-price range category after retaining its position in the premium category. At No. 2, Sony's position is unchanged, but LG had to settle for the third spot. Philips and Cannon are out while Godrej and Nikon are in.

Content Platforms

The brand names in this category have remained more or less the same with just one addition. This year's category winner is YouTube (2018 runner-up). With a number of content platforms now charging a 'premium' for their content, YouTube's free state has made it the next go-to option. With content creators mushrooming, one is expected to find something or the other worth watching. Other than likes, comments and shares, one can also check the buzz quotient of the brand at its annual YouTube fan-fest. Last year's winner, WhatsApp settled at the second spot followed by its parent company Facebook. At No. 4 is new entrant Netflix while Hotstar's position is the same as last year.

Cosmetics, Toiletries, Personal Care

Patanjali tops Cosmetics, Toiletries and Personal Care

Baba Ramdev's Patanjali has topped the charts yet again after securing the fourth spot last year. The brand's aggressive advertising and its entry into the apparel segment with Patanjali Paridhan, makes one wonder what its next conquest will be. With Ramdev himself being the prime brand ambassador, the minimal spend of endorsements is a distinctive advantage the brand has over other FMCG rivals. By retaining its position in the top 3, we now truly believe that Fogg 'Chal Raha Hai'. Initially starting with only a few fragrances, the brand now has a number of variants including a premium segment. It is followed by Colgate, Dettol and Dove; all of which are new entrants. ITC's Engage and HUL's Lifebuoy could not find a place.

E-commerce, Services

Amazon is runner up in E-commerce category

The ball is in Flipkart's 'cart' this time. It's back again after being toppled by Amazon last year. All thanks to the huge buzz it created last year with its acquisition by Walmart, the parting of the Bansal duo; one chose to exit (and cashed-in around $ 1 Billion) while the other had to resign due to personal misconduct and, of course, 'The Big Billion Day Sale'. Last year's winner, Amazon, settled for second place by scoring marginally lower than the winner on the voting board. What's even more surprising is the entry of food ordering and delivery giant Swiggy in this category. With its quirky and humorous social media campaigns and pumping in enormous capital, the brand seems to have cracked the code of getting to peoples' hearts, i.e. via their stomachs. Make My Trip and Myntra could not make it to the top 5 and the remaining positions were filled by Zomato and Ola.

In the main Buzzies list, all three winners of this category found a place. Amazon, being a runner-up in this category, has been voted as the Buzziest Brand of 2018. Winner of the category, Flipkart, had to settle for the sixth spot.

Entertainment

Sony tops Entertainment category

This category never fails to surprise us. With cut-throat competition where everyone tries to outcast another, Sony has managed to secure the winning spot by beating last year's champ, ZEE. This year, Sony also gave a push to its video-on-demand service platform - SONY LIV (India's first OTT platform) by adding Hindi TV shows, movies, music, sports and more. The second position has a new entrant in Cartoon Network which seems to have created more buzz than most of the top GEC's. Star's third position remains unaltered. Noteworthy is the entry of non-fiction television channels - Discovery and National Geographic - at the fourth and fifth spots respectively.

Foods

Maggi tops Foods category

Amul is runner up in Foods category

Maggi has been topping the charts for the last two years and has done the same this year. In spite of the entry/growth of other players, due to its lead controversy, the brand has maintained its dominance in the ready-to-make/packaged noodle market. Surprisingly, Patanjali has been replaced by Amul which holds the second spot while Baba Ramdev's brand has slid to fourth place. For the No. 3 spot, Parle-G has replaced Tata Salt. The new addition to the list is Lays. In spite of its new flavours not making any big waves, it seems like its signature 'green, blue, yellow and red' chips are still buzz-worthy.

Hot Beverages

Nescafe tops Hot Beverages category

Bru is runner up in Hot Beverages category

Coffee has ruled over tea and malt-based drinks in the hot beverages category this year. Beating rival, Bru, by a large margin of votes, Nescafe held the top spot by replacing Tata tea, which stands at No. 3. A tight battle between Bru and Tata Tea was witnessed, where the former defeated the latter by a minuscule margin. The last two spots have been filled by GSK's Horlicks (bouncing back from last year's drop) and Mondelez's Bournvita. Premium coffee retailer, Starbucks could not make it to the list.

Hotels

Introduced last year, this category had been immensely popular, going by the votes. The boost in the travel industry has provided a major push to this category, especially in the premium segment. Last year's winner, ITC was pushed to the third position by the Oberoi. With a major presence in metropolitans, they have been neatly spreading across Tier-2 cities as well, where the capacity to spend has increased over the years. JW Marriott has beaten Hilton by a small margin of votes to secure the fourth spot. Le Meridien has been dropped from the chart this year.

Household Products

Surf Excel wins Household Products category

Fevicol second runner up in Household Products

Last year, it was the war between detergent brands, this year, no one knows whom to fight - such is the nature of the brands that have made it to the top of the charts. Last year's winner, Goodknight and runner-up Surf Excel, have swapped places this year. HUL's Surf Excel has returned to wear the crown after being dethroned last year by Goodknight. Interestingly, the growing concern regarding health and diseases like malaria has brands like Goodknight and All Out in high demand and thus, making the latter's entry into the top 5 chart. Pidilite's Fevicol and Tide filled the remaining spots.

Mobile Handsets

With the Indian market flooded with mobile handsets (both in the low budget and premium category) for the last few years, this category has been witnessing the same brands fighting for the top spot. And this year the fight was won by Xiaomi who, in spite of not making it to the list last year, won the top spot. Offering premium quality handsets at economical prices seem to have worked in the brand's favour. This time, Apple's iPhone (2018 category winner) had to settle for the second spot while Samsung stood third. This was followed by One Plus and OPPO, where the former defeated the latter by a large margin of votes. Like last year, Xiaomi and Apple have both made it to the Buzzies main list this year while OPPO was dropped.

News

India TV tops the News category

This category lists news channel across languages and verticals. Much like last year, this year too, the top spot is retained by the Rajat Sharma-led India TV, which beat its competitors by a large margin. At No. 2 is Aaj Tak which has bounced back after being pushed down by BBC World last year that, incidentally, did not make it to this year's list. The second runner up is NDTV which slipped a position down from last year. Interestingly, TIMES NOW and Times of India were replaced by new entrants - Zee News and India Today. Yet again, none of the news channels could make it to the Top 10 Buzziest Brands list.

OTC

Himalaya tops Over the counter category

Patanjali is runner up in Over the counter category

This year, two-time winner Patanjali had to settle for the No. 2 spot as it was beaten by Himalaya by a fraction of votes. Interestingly, history has repeated itself by bringing the 2017 winner, Patanjali, back into the top 5 list. Other than that, Vicks, Durex and Volini are back in the spotlight standing tall at the third and fourth positions respectively. Last year's Moov, Manforce, Prega News, and Revital could not find a spot.

QSR

Domino's is runner up in QSR category

From chicken wings and economical pizzas to coffee and namkeen, this category has seen it all. This year too, the list has a fun mix. The top spot is retained by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), defeating last year's champ Domino's Pizza which settled for the runner-up title. Tossed out of the list last year, McDonald's made it back at No. 3. Pizza Hut is the new entry while Haldiram holds the fifth position, same as last year. Brands like Cafe Coffee Day, Subway and Starbucks, did not make it this year.

Retail

Future Group's Big Bazaar is back at the winning spot after moving down four places last year. This year's list is offbeat compared to last year's. Reliance Fresh placed second in the top 5 list replacing Lifestyle Retail followed by Tata Trent, V-Mart Retail and Spencer's. This shows the consumer shift to the hypermarket-departmental store model. Decathlon has been dropped this year.

Two-wheelers

Hero tops Two-wheelers category

Honda is runner up in Two-wheelers category

Major swaps and drops have been witnessed in this category. Riding high, the charismatic Hero bagged the top spot by replacing the beastly Royal Enfield (last two-time winner). The runner-up spot has been bagged by Honda followed by Royal Enfield. A drifty-shift in this category is the addition of two new majorly youth-driven brands - KTM and Pulsar. Harley Davidson, a premium brand, lost its place in this year's list.

Websites

In spite of being one of the youngest categories, this was picked fast by our voters. Google bagged the top spot again and by a notable margin. The leading search engine, along with its flagship products like YouTube and Gmail, created a reputation of being less of a brand and more of everyone's-anywhere solution partner. Their constant improvements in AI, as well as helpful experiences seem to keep its buzz on loop. Sports website Cricbuzz holds the second spot (No. 3 and 5 respectively in previous, consecutive editions). The live match score, ball-by-ball commentary, post-match breakdown and expert analysis seem to be a good hit. Others on the chart include - Times of India, Yahoo! and Hindustan Times.

Click here to see how the brands ranked within their respective categories.