Consumers have named Suncorp the best digital brand in Australia, leading a top 10 in which half of the businesses are banks or insurers.

In technology vendor SAP’s digital satisfaction survey, Suncorp scores positively across 11 of 13 categories and is the only brand to receive an overall positive score.

The research, which surveyed 3000 people, ranks 34 brands across six industries, including 13 banks and insurance providers.

Suncorp has the most “delighted” digital customers, at 41%. It also scores highest for being available any time on customer terms (50%) and being respectful and dedicated to client needs (34%).

The group has a 73% score for loyalty, and 65% of customers are likely to recommend the brand.

Suncorp Insurance Head of eCommerce and Specialist Brands Ivan Owide says customers want digital interaction to be convenient, timely, tailored and meaningful.

He says Suncorp allows consultants to focus on immediate help, rather than spending 10 minutes of a call gathering information, and the focus is to improve service across all platforms, especially mobile.

“Our digital philosophy is underpinned by the notion that the customer should think more highly of the brand after the experience than before.”

The insurance sector is one of the better-performing sectors, scoring positively for two categories: available any time on customer terms; and cohesive, integrated and simple.

However, the sector’s digital engagement is among the lowest, at 47%, behind banking (84%), telecoms (66%), retail (62%) and utilities (50%).

“To succeed, insurers must provide customer care and not just financial services,” the report says.

Insurers are challenged by non-traditional competitors, SAP says. Brands are bundling everyday services from across industries to make life easier for consumers. “When grocery shopping online, a consumer may be only one tap away from also switching insurance providers.”

The average digital experience score across the survey is 25%. Only 22% of consumers are “delighted” with their digital experiences, 47% are “unsatisfied” and 31% “ambivalent”.

Delighted customers are four times more likely to remain loyal to a brand. “Some of our biggest and best-known brands are alienating consumers due to poor digital experiences,” the report says.

By sector, grocery retail is the leading digital performer, but it still has more unsatisfied consumers than delighted ones. Banking and insurance are next, while telecoms and utilities score the lowest.

The report says customers want digital experiences that reflect individual preferences, simplify their lives and engage them, without infringing on privacy.

SAP Australia and New Zealand President and MD John Ruthven says the top brands demonstrate a data-driven approach to digital service. “This sets them apart from their competition.”