According to the Superbrands Expert Panel, Manchester United are the sixth most recognisable brand in the world, behind only Google, Apple, the BBC, Dyson [shome mishtake shurely – ed] and Facebook. They are ahead of Coca-Cola and Microsoft. In the same survey Chelsea are placed 54th, Arsenal 160th and Liverpool 171st.
According to the Superbrands Expert Panel, Manchester United are the sixth most recognisable brand in the world, behind only Google, Apple, the BBC, Dyson [shome mishtake shurely – ed] and Facebook. They are ahead of Coca-Cola and Microsoft. In the same survey Chelsea are placed 54th, Arsenal 160th and Liverpool 171st.
Perhaps, however, one has to be wary of the judgments of experts. A poll of the UK public saw United come in 73rd. Chelsea were 193rd and Liverpool (219th) were ahead of Arsenal (230th). One suspects that in a similar poll in the US Manchester United would not be much above the radar.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the marketing push by the Glazers has dazzled brand specialists. This year they were asked to join M50, an invitation-only body for the 50 most powerful global brands. The Glazers have spent more than £40m in devising and executing a commercial strategy that has yielded a tenfold return with more than £400m generated from over 100 commercial contracts. A two person operation in Manchester has been replaced by a team of 45 working out of a luxurious Mayfair office.
A survey by TNS Sport in 2006-07 that interviewed 28,000 people in 21 countries reported that United had 333 million followers worldwide, 192 million of whom were in Asia. United have commercial partnerships with more than 45 countries in Asia and TNS is now updating its findings.
A separate survey by Futures Sport and Entertainment concluded that United generated 4.2 billion television viewers worldwide last season. That equates to a NFL Super Bowl worth of viewing figures every seven days and means that more people watch United globally than the whole sport of Formula One.