KFC is the top brand for consumers on the mobile Internet, according to a new study from BuzzCity.

Besides KFC, McDonald?s, Sony, Nestlé, and Samsung rounded out the top five brands. The BuzzCity study surveyed consumers from around the globe and investigated which brands appeal most to them on the mobile Internet, why the audience prefers the brand and how likely the audience is to recommend the brand to other consumers.

?At an international level, KFC has learned to localize well,? said Hisham Isa, vice president of sales and marketing at BuzzCity, Singapore. ?Given people?s sensitivity to food, it?s quite a surprise to see four food brands in the top ten but they, especially KFC and McDonalds, demonstrate the benefits big brands enjoy when they customize their products for local markets.?

The top 10 brands in order are: KFC, McDonald's, Sony, Nestle, Samsung, Nokia, LG, Coca-Cola, Panasonic and Philips.

Most of the top 10 brands are multi-business firms that, like KFC, enjoy a good market presence because they can share marketing expenses and skills with sister companies or business units.

BuzzCity, a mobile media company, gives brand owners and agencies access to a global advertising network on the mobile Internet.

The survey also revealed users base their preferences on brand performance first, followed by style and then price.

Also influencing choice is quality, reliability, value and trust.

?The unwired consumers are very discerning shoppers and their choices are made on the perceived quality of the product,? Mr. Isa said. ?For many, style often outweighs price.

?If brands are to take advantage of advocates who use the mobile Internet, more product information needs to be deployed, particularly on mobile sites,? he said.

BuzzCity found that mobile consumers are brand advocates because they trust the quality, reliability and value of their favorite brands, not because they are bribed.

Surprisingly, price is not the biggest factor for consumers.

The study found manufacturers are at the top of consumers' lists. But, the retailer should not be ruled out just yet.

Mr. Isa said at least one comparison shopping service, Hippo, made its mark in South Africa and more could come.

?In many cases, only a few brands dominate consumer perceptions,? Mr. Isa said. ?This suggests ample opportunities for emerging or domestic brands to develop mind share amongst consumers, but they will first need to clearly identify their brand promise and articulate this to the consumer to create an appeal beyond price.?

?And that opportunity could lie in mobile Internet media,? he said.

Mobile marketers need to go beyond the promotion broadcast and also place emphasis on deploying information to give consumers more choices.

Brands need to have more of a mobile presence.

The first step would be to develop clear mobile strategies.
 
?Mobiles have become a powerful information gathering tool amongst consumers and have become an integral element in the decision-making process,? Mr. Isa said. ?As an example, Kellogg?s, in second place among food brands in the U.S., would do well to deploy their free recipes on mobiles.

?This would be a good way of extending interaction and brand experience by sharing the different applications of their product,? he said. "Similarly, many quick-service restaurants post a store locator on their Web sites. These too should be deployed on mobiles as they support product fulfillment.

?These typify product-related information already available and brands need to make these available for mobiles."