This article was originally published by RFID Update.
February 25, 2009—Recognition rose for makers of RFID tag components while most other vendors took a dip, according to the recent RFID Update study of brand leadership in the RFID industry. Impinj, Avery Dennison and UPM Raflatac improved their 2009 brand recognition rankings the most compared to the previous brand study, which was conducted in 2006. Impinj manufactures RFID tag chips, while Avery Dennison and UPM Raflatac make tag inlays. Impinj is also known for its readers.
The rankings were compiled as part of the 2009 RFID Brand Report, a 40-page report that documents the best-known RFID brands worldwide, with separate results for the most widely recognized brands in Asia, Europe and North America. Brands are also ranked based on how recognized they are among specific groups, including RFID end users and prospects, channel professionals, and manufacturers. RFID Update and Burnell Reports produced the report based on research data from more than 500 RFID users and industry professionals worldwide. It is a companion to the 2009 RFID Marketing Strategies Report, which measures the relative effectiveness of different marketing strategies, messages, and tools. The two reports follow up the original RFID brand research conducted in 2006.
Impinj made by far the biggest jump in brand recognition rankings from 2006 to 2009, rising 11 places to become the third-most recognized RFID company, behind Alien Technology and Motorola, which also produce inlays and have well-known reader product lines (see Alien, Impinj, and Motorola Top RFID Update Rankings). Impinj also experienced the highest percentage gain among study respondents, improving its recognition by 14 percent. The table below summarizes the changes for the three companies that climbed the most in the brand rankings.
| Company | 2009 Rank | 2006 Rank | Positions Gained | % cited * | ± 2006 |
| Impinj | 3 | 14 | 11 | 21.0% | +14.0% |
| Avery Dennison | 6 | 11 | 5 | 9.1% | -1.1% |
| UPM Raflatac | 9 | 17 | 8 | 7.9% | +2.5% |
* Refers to percentage of survey respondents who cited the company as one of the most-recognized RFID providers.
Most companies saw their brand recognition drop between 2006 and 2009, which helped Avery Dennison and UPM Raflatac make good gains in the rankings despite modest changes in their overall recognition. UPM Raflatac rose nine positions, from 17th to a tie for the eighth-most recognized provider. Avery Dennison rose five spots, from 11th to 6th even though its recognition fell by 1.1 percent, as most of the companies previously ahead of it experienced sharper drops in their brand recognition.
The overall 2009 results show that chip, inlay and tag providers enjoy high visibility. Nine of the 10 most-recognized RFID companies have a strong tag or inlay component to their business. Companies that were displaced from the top 10 include firms who are known as full solutions providers.
The complete report includes detailed results, including the top 20 most recognized providers and their ranking and percentage changes from 2006, plus data showing changes by region. To learn more about the 2009 RFID Brand Report and 2009 RFID Marketing Strategies Report, click here.