SANDALS Resorts has, for the 11th consecutive year, been awarded the United Kingdom Superbrands, one of just nine travel companies in the world to receive this distinction.

The Consumer Superbrands survey has been tracking the perception of a wide-range of brands in the United Kingdom since 1995. This year’s survey featured 1,596 companies across 78 different categories, ranging from ‘Automotive Products’ to ‘Vitamins & Supplements’. The research process, managed by The Centre for Brand Analysis (TCBA) and Dynata, one of the world’s largest survey and market research companies, followed a voting process involving a national representative sample of 2,500 British consumers.

Sandals Resorts joins Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Premier Inn, Holiday Inn, Travelodge, Centre Parcs, Radisson Hotels and Crowne Plaza as the other travel companies to receive this designation in 2019.

Managing director of Unique Vacations UK Ltd, representatives of Sandals Resorts in the UK and Europe, Karl Thompson, said of the achievement, “We are extremely proud that our Sandals Resorts brand has maintained the coveted Superbrands status for another year. This is a testament to our innovative product and strong brand values that we strive to continually build on.”

His sentiments were echoed by Adam Stewart, Sandals’ deputy chairman, who said, “It is indeed an honour to receive this accolade for the 11th consecutive year. Our UK market is very important to us and it is rewarding and exciting to know that our consumers there think highly of our brand. We are truly humbled and remain committed to continuously providing the products and unmatched service that our brand is known and loved for.”

Brands do not pay or apply to be considered for Superbrands status but instead, all the key players in each sector are voted on. Voters were asked to judge brands against the three core factors inherent in a Superbrand: quality, reliability and distinction. Additionally, a range of both short and long-term factors influence the way consumers vote. This includes the brand’s current profile, its latest marketing activities and new product and service developments.

In addition to the British public vote, which was weighted to reflect the breadth of opinion across the whole country, all brands awarded Superbrand status were also highly rated by an objective and voluntary council of senior industry experts to provide a secondary quality control mechanism.

Stephen Cheliotis, CEO of The Centre for Brand Analysis and chairman of Superbrands, said: “UK consumers have a rich, abundant choice of brands for almost everything they might wish to purchase. The commercial success of a given brand is, therefore, highly correlated to consumer sentiment, perception and desirability. Being highly regarded and deemed a Superbrand by the public is an important indicator of a brand’s market strength, competitive position and prospects. As we enter increasingly unsettled times, possessing a strong Superbrand provides businesses with a vital and valuable asset.”