Subway is the 2011 Quick Serve Restaurant of the Year, followed by Dairy Queen, Wendy’s and McDonalds, says the study. However, the brands whose equity increased the most over last year include Domino’s Pizza, KFC and Taco Bell.
While some negative publicity regarding the proportion of non-beef filler content in its tacos affected Taco Bell, Domino’s recent ad campaign admitting its pizza needs improvement seems to be having a positive impact on consumers. “Domino’s improvement shows the impact of transparency on consumer brand perception,” says Jeni Lee Chapman, executive vice president of brand and communication consulting at Harris Interactive. “Consumers are more forgiving with companies that take responsibility and are forthcoming about their efforts to improve.”