Apple iPhone 6 No. 1 in BS Brand Derby

In a hypercompetitive world, marketers must face that their launch will be in perpetual beta - that is, new features and functionality are continually added to prevent the brand from losing momentum, or worse, falling behind competition. The results of The Strategist Brand Derby conducted this year prove just that: marketers who stop innovating, or who let the buzz around their brands fizzle out, fall behind in the race.

Apple iPhone 6 is the clear winner in the Brand Derby this year, led by global hype, the superiority of the product and the company's strategy to keep the halo of exclusivity around the brand intact. It is followed by the iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Audi A3 and Maruti Suzuki Celerio.

"The elements of the marketing mix provide direct and indirect cues to consumers, who then form their own opinion based on these cues and their experiences. This is a challenging process for a company and all the top five brands in the Business Standard Brand Derby survey have been very good at managing this process," said Siddharth S Singh, associate professor, marketing, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.