Brussels, 20 April 2021. For the sixth consecutive year, the Best Brands Awards honour Belgium’s favourite brands in 21 different business sectors. The ranking was unveiled yesterday during a TV show celebrating Belgium’s favourite brands, which has become a must-see event for marketing and communication professionals.
Launched in Munich in 2004 by the communication agency Serviceplan and subsequently in other countries (Belgium, China, France, Italy, Russia, etc.), the Best Brands Awards are now considered THE barometer of brand performance. Indeed, it is not the subjective opinion of a jury of professionals that dictates the selection of winners, but the consumers themselves, according to two criteria: real economic success (based on various indicators such as market share, price advantage and being the consumer’s first choice) and emotional perception (a dimension that takes into account reputation, customer experience or cross-selling potential).
In Belgium, the Best Brands ranking is based on an online survey conducted by GfK with 5,000 households representative of the national population. For this 5th edition, some 350 brands from 21 sectors of activity were evaluated.
And the winners are…
The Best Brands Awards 2021 TV show brought together more than 350 guests from the world of business, communication and media on 20 April. Following several inspiring speeches, including that of Dr Wayne Visser, professor and holder of the Chair in Sustainable Transformation at Antwerp Management School, the winners were announced:
The rising power of some challengers
A number of international brands reaffirm their leadership each and every year: this is the case, for example, with Coca-Cola, Samsung, Jupiler, Bosch, Miele and Philips. The first three of these brands also picked up the “Best Product Scores” for all sectors combined.
In other categories, however, the leaders from 2020 were forced to relinquish the top step of the podium: in the banking sector, KBC supplanted BNP Paribas Fortis; in Hifi Electro retail, MediaMarkt beat Vanden Borre; in petroleum products, Dats24 beat Total. A sign that nothing is ever set in stone! Among the brands making the most progress between 2020 and 2021 are Martini, HP and Delhaize.
Some surprises too
In financial services, ING came third behind KBC and BNP Paribas Fortis. Although its market share is relatively small compared to the major banks in our market, it scored the highest for emotional perception.
In cosmetics, Rituals surprised everyone, taking 2nd place behind the unbeatable Nivea, but ahead of Dove, Axe and L’Oréal! One of the differentiating factors is the elegant design of its products.
New category 2021: Best Sustainable Brand
The health crisis we have been experiencing for the past year has permanently changed consumer behaviour. Our purchases are increasingly focused on our basic needs, we buy more consciously and more locally, and COVID-19 has accelerated the use of digital technology, including and undoubtedly for commerce. To counteract isolation, consumers are using digital technology to connect, learn and play; and they will continue to do so in the future. For this reason, this 2021 edition of the Best Brands Awards has welcomed a new category: Best Sustainable Brand, and questions on sustainability (human, economic, environmental) have been added to our questionnaire. The top 3 brands in this category are: Colruyt, Nivea and Aveve.
Building authentic consumer relationships: the key to growth
The results of the Best Brands Awards 2021 confirm that now, more than ever, building strong brands means establishing lasting and authentic relationships with consumers. Without this vision, many brands are doomed to disappear, and no marketing campaign can save them. With increasing media fragmentation and the growing rejection of irrelevant advertising, it is important to listen to consumers and provide a relevant and consistent brand experience across all off and online touchpoints. Of course, the Best Brands survey offers a unique opportunity to better understand the current and future expectations of these increasingly demanding consumers.
