The most recent edition of Spanish marketing firm Personality Media's Investigation of Mass Media (AIMC) study into brand recognition "summarized the way Spanish consumers perceive top football clubs Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid," according to Javier Giraldo of SPORT. The "study is important because commercial brands follow its results when seeking athletes to endorse or teams to sponsor." The results "crowned Barcelona as the most-valued team among Spanish citizens: although Real has more followers (23.8%), it is Barcelona that obtained the best average valuation (6.1)." The figures "are explained by various factors which are as social as they are geographic." Barcelona "received the highest valuation in terms of image among women (6.2), which contrasts with the rating of 4.9 that Real received from women." This is a detail that "goes beyond percentages, it involves millions of potential clients." Barcelona is "also the leader among fans who do not follow football regularly: in this area, Barça (5.5) wins, while Real (4.6) struggles." Atlético (6.7) is the most valued among fans who follow football on a daily basis, followed by Barça (6.4) and Real (5.7). The study "also reveals surprises in terms of geography, as in Madrid, 45% of people consider themselves Barcelona fans, while 53% prefer Real." The numbers "change completely in the Barcelona metropolitan area, where 72% of the population supports Barcelona" (SPORT, 12/9).
