
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
At least there is one thing we can all agree on, whether we are politically red, blue or purple.
Americans don’t see eye-to-eye on politics, so why should it be any different when it comes to the brands we admire?
Democrats and Republicans, as it turns out, see the world very differently in terms of brand perception, and the outlook is different still for independents.
Democrats seem to love Google, for example, while the Internet search company fails to even break the top 10 list of Republicans' favorite brands, according to an annual ranking released Wednesday by YouGov Brand Index, a consumer research firm.
Republicans and independents both have a high opinion of the History Channel and Discovery Channel -- brands that are just not top of mind for Democrats.
“Politics in the U.S. have become very personality-focused and we view brands as having a personality,” said June Cotte, associate professor of marketing at Western University in Canada said.
“If a brand is seen as young and hip it may be more associated with (President Barack) Obama, who is seen as young and hip compared to (former Gov. Mitt) Romney,” Cotte said.
News events also can have an impact.
Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy, for example, stirred up both criticism and support with his controversial comments against same-sex marriage. But those comments drove Chick-fil-A onto the top 10 list of well-perceived brands among Republicans for the first time. (The fast-food chain did not make the list among Democrats or independents.)
Some brands also got a bounce after the two political conventions this year.
The Democrats used the slogan “Osama Bin Laden is dead, General Motors is alive” during their convention, leading to a big bounce in perception for GM among Dems. Staples founder Thomas Stemberg stumped for Mitt Romney at the Republican’s convention, which helped garner the office supply chain a boost in ratings among Republicans.
As for M&M’s, perhaps they started packing more blue candies than red into their iconic mix of candy-coated chocolates. The popular candies made their debut on the top 10 list for both Democrats and independents this year, while melting off the Republicans’ top 10.
One brand that everyone seems to agree on is Cheerio's, which ranks in the top 10 for every political affiliation.
Ted Marzilli, managing director for YouGov’s BrandIndex, said several brands, including Fox News, PBS and Chick-fil-A, have a particularly polarizing effect.
While Fox News ranks as the No. 1 brand among Republicans, it ranks behind 1,084 other brands among Democrats.
Similarly Chick-fil-A ranked No. 4 among Republicans and No. 1,076 among Democrats.
And Romney seems to have chosen wisely in targeting PBS, which is ranked as the No. 9 brand among Democrats. Big Bird and friends rank as the No. 159 brand among Republicans.
Here is the top 10 list for all three categories of voters:
Democrats:
- Amazon.com
- Cheerios
- Clorox
- Craftsman
- Dawn
- M&Ms
- Levi’s
- PBS
- Sony
Republicans:
- Fox News Channel
- History Channel
- Craftsman
- Chick-Fil-A
- Johnson & Johnson
- Lowe’s
- Cheerios
- Clorox
- Fox
- Discovery Channel
Independents:
- Amazon.com
- Craftsman
- History Channel
- Discovery Channel
- Clorox
- Lowe’s
- Johnson & Johnson
- Cheerios
- M&Ms
Dana Macario is a Seattle-area writer, who likes Cheerios, especially the Honey Nut ones.
In a recent poll, voters named the economy and unemployment the two most important problems facing the country, as millions of Americans struggle to pay bills and save money at the same time. TODAY financial editor Jean Chatzky reports on an average American family's struggle to save.


Why are all the republican brands the same brands my Grandfather use to use after he retired and puttered around the house watching daytime TV and mumbling to himself?
In all seriousness though, its a stark line to draw when the most popular brand on one side is the most valuable research tool ever created and the other is an entertainment station.
Stop watching the History channel and read a book. you might actually learn something... that doesn't have to do with ancient aliens.
Hey ancient aliens is more informative than most of the shows currently aired on either the History or Discovery channels anymore. Actually, that show is one of the few cerebral shows left.
Ancient Aliens?!?!
Wow. no wonder republicans like the history channel - It presents a reality that is as skewed as the republican model.
And is anyone suprised that the number one on the republican list is Fox News?
I think it would be best to evaluate exactly how their study was executed. If they polled 100 of each party- did they find the first 100, get a mix of ages, etc.
On the tv comments- Fox slants Republican, so that makes sense. The History Channel does have some history based programs (along with the littany of pawn/picker type shows- Americana) so there is something to actually think about on that network, as well as discovery. I guess my question is why would only Republicans talk tv and not democrats?
How did Clorox and Cheerios get such high votes? Is it that they advertise on kid's programs all the time and that either the polled group is younger(watch or have kids that do)? When I think of trusted brands in no way would I end up at a cereal and a bleach. Maybe a car company, or a technology company, etc.
Something just doesn't smell right here. Sounds more like a "we're cooler than you" piece to me.
My take, looks like Craftsman is a good investment because everyone likes them.
history USED to have accurate information. Now its mostly mindless drivel.
Agreed. As for why no television networks are on the Progressive side is because we have moved onto more advanced forms of information... like the internet.
The only item on the Republican list that you could use while puttering around the house would be Craftsman tools... which was also in the top ten of the Democratic list.
Fenix - And where do you get your news on the internet? Usually television news sights - like this one.
Yes. But on the internet where it can be easily cross referenced and researched. And alternate news sources like BBC that don't have a regular channel in the US. Your point?
Once again MSNBC goes into Brainwash mode with this article. They twice mention that Demarcates and Independents voted the same on M&Ms and Cherios. Also painting them, the same color as the Demos, blue. What this article fails to mention is , Independents voted along the same line as Republicans on 7 out of 10 items ,on the top ten list, Johnson & Johnson, History Chanel, Discovery Chanel, Clorox, Cheerios and Lowe's. Seems to me that, Independents are more Red than Blue.!!!!!!!! I guess that wasn't worth mentioning though.
YUUUUP!
Registered Democrat here. Love History channel and Discovery channel. Like PBS & C-Span as well. Fox ?? No offense, but I do not need a rich foreigner (Murdock) trying to influence my countries politics. I do use google to a large extent.
I do eat a Chick-fil-a, for they have good fast food and are always friendly. Their CEO has a right to his opinion which I might not share. Why hurt a companies working poor class employees over politics?
The bright light I see, is that Craftsman made all three lists. Finally, we desire American made quality goods.
It's Romnesia. They like to live in the past.
Howy61: Thankfully Dear Leader gave you a new catch phrase, as opposed to facts, figures and policies. Nice that they finally release their plan AFTER the debates. Typical from the administration of transparency.
I would really like to see the survey and how the analysis was made done.
Should be already pretty obvious why its like that.
Google, you get to view many sources, compare what sources agree on, read information from the source such as the actual legislation, self validate information and invalidate incorrect sources, and form a informed opinion.
Fox News, you only hear one source, you don't get to compare what other sources are saying, information is second hand and often incomplete or inaccurate, information is validated for you by them, and opinion is given to you for you to accept as your own and regurgitate without knowing the reasoning in detail.
There is no reason in this day and age not to self inform. I am finding that your political affiliation highly depends on if a person relies on TV as a sole source of information.
Hmm. I use brands in all three categories, Republican being the least matched to me (only History Channel, Craftsmen, and Lowe's). Hoenstly, I don't really have a ton of brand loyalty. Used to drive a Dodge, but a Chevy when my Dodge was smashed by a deer because it was a good deal for the used vehcile with next to no miles on it. I use Google to search a lot, but have also used Bing on occasion.
The fact that companies are becoming so politicized shows the unruly beast we're allowing partisanship to become. Can't we add in the level-headed moderates list?
Dumbest article ever.
Because I am sure no Republicans use Google and no Democrats eat at Chick-Fil-A
If you have your politics decide your brands, the joke is on you.
Hence the reference to also whatching daytime TV (which brings it up to 6 items on the list i believe)
Democrats get their news from google (and other internet sites). Republicans get theirs from Fox.
That explains an aweful lot. An AWEFUL lot....... Akin to getting one's food from a dumpster..... Fair and balanced diet, eh?
HA! So much for civil differences of opinion, huh Jersey? Dems are just soooo diplomatic :-).
I'll never understand how so many people follow along with Fox's assertion that THEY are the sole proprietor of "truth," even if you agree with some of what they are saying. The same advice applies in politics, news, business, and dating: be wary of anyone telling you THEY alone are the ONLY solution to what you are seeking.
Scary isn't.
GOOGLE has information, opinion, and propaganda.
FAUX News has opinion, propaganda, and information.
caveat emptor
Republican here, never watch FOX. Great blanket statments people. FYI the other news channels are just as bad.
This headline is misleading in context to the story (no surprise) but Republicans get their news from FOX, CNN, CNBC, and other sources and scour the internet for facts. Democrats go straight to MSNBC, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddox, Bill Bekel, and whoever else will give them their talking points. All you need to do is look at the msg boards on other articles on this site. If you don't like the facts the usual mantra from the left is a hate filled diatribe ending with "you're a bigot" or "racist"
Selective reporting is just as bad as lies. Where is the story on MSNBC about the voter intimidation in Florida. Letters sent telling Repub's they will lose their citizenship if they vote. It's on the other news sites, but not here, wonder why?
Republican to normal people translator:
Lols you made a valid point that paints us in an unfavorable light... we will change directions and now critisize your manners.
I used to love the History Channel. Now it seems all they show in primetime is Pawn Stars and other reality cr@p.
This is why you should dump cable. Watch youtube series and/or netflix. Better stuff. Less commercials. No political BS.
Yeah, history and discovery both, dale. They used to actually have shows that were accurate and informative.
And barron, you are spot on. People who think dont trust just one source. People who dont think listen to Fox News.
Indeed - remember when TLC used to stand for The Learning Channel?
All of the good stuff on History got moved to History 2 HD or The Science Channel... Both of them have some interesting stuff but you won't get it unless you have a high definition receiver and probably 2nd-3rd level of programming.
So Democrats are searching for things on Google and Republicans are eating fried chicken sandwiches? Interesting...lol.
Actually Barron, the republicans I know watch all different types of news sites. Unlike the Democrats. Who refuse to listen to a disenting opinion.
That is a major generalization.
Mordsith, considering the propensity for lockstep actions from republicans, your statement is just funny as hell.
I believe the right has a much better grasp on enforcing conformity and tamping down on dissension.
Remember what Will Rogers said - "I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat."
@Fenix1186 ... Maybe. But an accurate one :-).
And Mordsith, you base that on what? What your sole news source tells you? Or something more substantial, like your single, anecdotal data point?
Actually, if you go and look at the study and look at the levels of Brand Support each group had, you will see that the Republicans were, far and away, more rabid in their support of these brands. For the Dems, only TWO of their brands ranked above 58%, independents didn't have ANY brands above 58%, and Republicans STARTED at 58% and went up from there.
Refusing to listen to dissenting opinion is the mark of rabid followers. Thus, 'refusing to listen' is far more likely to be the case with Republicans than Democrats. The study itself refutes your statement.
Not so much.
Reading Comprehension, FTW.
the question was WHAT BRAND NAMES to you think of first.
That also explains the weird combination of responses because it is just name recognition.
I guess 30 years ago it would be some combination of ABC, CBS, NBC, PANAM, IBM, FORD and GM which makes a lot more sense to me than cable channels.
Fred -
If I could find a link to the study I would use it. The link provided goes to a news release type article with an abbreviated top 10 table, which is fairly useless.
Howy61 - Where did find that? Been looking (goggling for you Democrats), been to the brandindex website and can't find it.
You can always tell a Republican by their grease stained wife beater t- shirt.
it's going to be so good to get rid of obama.
....i will think of your vile comment when obama calls romney to concede.
You can always tell a Democrat by, the deduction in their paycheck ,to some Mafia Union Boss.
Why does it seem that all of the idiots on here are named Joe? Coincidence? I don't think so. Maybe they are all "Joe the Plumber" wanna-bes?
Michele Bachmann, Carl Paladino, Sharon Angle, Allen West, Joe Walsh, Joe Miller, Joe Wilson, Jim Demented, Paul Broun, Tod Akin, Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Charles Krauthammer, Christine O'Donnell, Rick Scott...... Good Lord, what a bunch. And you trolls complain about Democratic foibles???
Legitimate rape? Evolution and embryology spawned from pit of hell? The Earth is 9000 years old? I am not a witch? I'm gonna take you out? You Lie? She's a slut? I read all of 'em? 79 Communists? I'll tell ya after the election? I let her off early so she could cook dinner for her family? You folks must be mighty proud.......
I think its time to say cheerios to corporate funded government on both sides and give the power back to the people
Forty percent of the Republicans top brands are television channels/networks.
Makes a lot of sense.
This RINO thinks it's scary.
I am glad to see that we all like Clorox.
Was there a defined list to rank or just people randomly listing brands?
Exactly my question. I did a double-take at seeing Clorox on the list. Reading the start of the article, that was probably one of the furthest things from my mind, "good," "bad," or otherwise.
This is the stupid piece of garbage article I think I've read in my life.
How about some real news, like why is the media so biased and doesn't report thing in a proper manner to the American people?
I consider myself Libertarian/Independent... just can't stand this kind of reporting. This is basically a Republican=bad and Democrat=good article becuase 90% of the people won't get far past the title.
Republicans like straight chickens and trumped up news...so what's the revelation here?
You mean the GMO godzilla chickents
Huh, no Apple on the list. I would have thought that Dems in particular would have chosen the largest company in the world. I'm as (socially) liberal as they come, but young posers just love that overpriced crap.
The lack of Apple is interesting. Lack of jobs? (Pun intended). But Chlorox and Cheerios? This is the weakness of the survey. People who buy brand names and orient around brand names are more likely what Myers-Briggs called "Sensates". Most advertising is (or at least used to be) aimed at Sensates. If you feel like ads are retarded or that you just never "got" them, you probably are in the minority, the so called "iNtuitives", again using Myers-Briggs terminology. Doesn't mean you are smarter of course, just different.
If you asked me what my top ten favorite brands are you'd get a blank stare. I don't like brands - they don't have any real meaning to me - brands and advertising are like a kind of noise. I never thought of Google as a brand - I use their products, often because they are free.
Chlorox???? It's a weak solution of sodium hypochlorite. Why would you pay extra to have a funny name attached to it? I just don't get it. History Channel? WTF - i'm not even sure what the history channel is since I don't own a TV, but I can guess.
FWIW, I find the fox news website decent - it was at least not filled with the propoganda I was expecting after hearing about the horrors of Fox News the TV show.
Ah, nothing like a little hate and intolerance to get Republicans' cold-blooded hearts all aflutter.
Unfortunately for Chick-fil-A it's hard to run a business by just appealing to the bigot market. Overall CFA's brand index is way down, even in the south.
http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/chick-fil-a-anti-gay-bad-for-business
I understand Mittens is seeking endorsements from Depends, Preparation H, Geritol, and Metamucil, which should work out well for them when Obama is elected and they have to clean up the mess!
Hmm...well now i'm even more confused. I always google, but love my chik-fil-a. And i eat cheerios. Boy if this is how I decide which party to support, I guess I'm going to have to start using Bing, eat at Mc Donalds, and switch my cereal brand to Corn Flakes.
This is strong commentary on just how mentally challenged the Republican mind is.
It's also a strong commentary on how truly closed minded the Democrats are. Fox News came in at 1000+ on the Democrat side.
Using Google
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/fox-news-less-informed-new-study_n_1538914.html
I have less use for Fox 'news' than pine cone toiletpaper.
Notice that Democrats don't like any learning channels! They prefer to be dumb like the 50% of Chicago kids who don't graduate from high school and always vote Democrat.
The History Channel is not academic- it's entertainment for the over 60 American male who tilts GOP and doesn't read about US history preferring American D-Day mythology to Eastern Front reality- just like my father and his friends.
Actually Jamie, there is a strong correlation between education and voting democratic. The higher a person is educated, the more likely, statistically, they will vote democratic.
The History Channel and FOXnews: Shills of American mythology. I'm surprised Depends was not on the GOP favorite brands.
The Republicans should not be so quick to dismiss PBS.
Antiques Roadshow inspired countless object-oriented programs now seen on History and Discovery.
Personally, I like all three networks.
Now why am I not surprised. All you need to do is take a look at some of the nutjobs in the Republican party alone, past and present and that will give you an indication of their lack of intelligence.
So Obama prefers the Muslim Brotherhood in North Africa and Islamist visiting the White House. Of course, preferences are different.
Isn't the biggest shock that Clorox is on all three lists?
Funny that the brand fox is on there twice.
Interesting lists... though I must be a Democratic-Republican as I like both Google and Chick-fil-a.
Suprised Home depot didnt make the list. Lowes did well thou. For news best is to watch them all. I usually get 90% of my news from the net. FOX, MSNBC, CNN. BBC and some other european sites. Nice to read all sides and opinions and then make up my your own mind. On world news is best to look overseas. Its amazing how much one story can change from one site to other. Thank goodness for the internet. Also its nice to read what is going on in my COB and the countries i have lived in. Always keep your mind open and make an informed decision.