Leuven, 13 March 2025, The Best Brands Awards celebrated their 10th anniversary at Docks Dome in Brussels, where Belgium’s favorite brands were revealed during a spectacular gala event attended by top professionals from the business, advertising, and media sectors. Organized by Serviceplan Group and NielsenIQ/GfK, this special edition marked a decade of honoring the brands most cherished by Belgian consumers.
Launched in Munich in 2004 by Serviceplan and GfK, the Best Brands Awards have become a trusted barometer of brand performance across Europe. Unlike other awards, winners are determined solely by Belgian consumers, based on two criteria: Share of Wallet (economic success) and Share of Soul (emotional connection).
This year, the 10th edition surveyed over 4,000 Belgian consumers, evaluating 285 brands across 22 categories, including several new additions such as Best Hot Beverages Brand, Best Bike Brand, Best Household Cleaning Brand, and this years’ special category, Best Employer Brand.
WINNERS OF THE 10th BEST BRANDS AWARDS
The gala event unveiled the winners across all categories:
- Best Dairy and Plant-Based Food Brand: Alpro
- Best Salty Snacks Brand: Lay’s
- Best Automotive Brand: Volkswagen
- Best Beer Brand (NEW): Jupiler
- Best Home Comfort Brand: Dyson
- Best Kitchen Appliances Brand: Philips
- Best Home Improvement Brand (NEW): Bosch Power Tools
- Best Retail DIY & Garden Brand: HUBO
- Best Audio & Video Brand: Samsung
- Best IT Brand: HP
- Best Large Household Appliances Brand: Miele
- Best Gardening Brand: Gardena
- Best Retail (Hi-Fi Electro) Brand: MediaMarkt
- Best Hot Beverage Brand (NEW): Jacob Douwe Egberts
- Best Water & Soft Drinks Brand: Coca-Cola
- Best Confectionary Brand: Côte d’Or
- Best Health & Beauty Brand (NEW): Nivea
- Best FMCG Retailer Brand: Colruyt
- Best Bike Brand (NEW): Riese & Muller
- Best Household Cleaning Brand (NEW): Dreft
- Best Employer Brand (NEW): IKEA
- Best Overall Brand: Côte d’Or
MILESTONE ACHIEVEMENT: A DECADE OF BRAND EXCELLENCE
The 10th edition of the Best Brands Awards marked a significant milestone: a decade of celebrating Belgium’s most inspiring brands and honoring our commitment to Building Best Brands. This year’s event not only highlighted the resilience and creativity of leading brands but also underscored the evolving consumer preferences that shape the market.
Several brands reaffirmed their leadership positions, while unexpected newcomers made impressive debuts, shaking up the rankings.
“A brand isn’t just a logo or a slogan — it’s a living story. The best brands don’t sell, they inspire. They evolve without losing their soul, build trust through consistency, and create communities where people feel they belong. In a world of choices, brands that stand for something real don’t just thrive—they matter.” Peter Vande Graveele, Managing Partner Serviceplan Group Belux.
NEW CATEGORY: BEST EMPLOYER BRANDING
This year marked the introduction of a brand-new category: “Best Employer Branding.” This award recognizes companies that excel at creating inspiring and inclusive work environments, attracting and retaining top talent. IKEA proudly became the first company to win this award, thanks to its outstanding efforts in fostering a workplace culture that resonates deeply with both employees and job seekers.
DOUBLE VICTORY FOR CÔTE D’OR
Côte d’Or stood out as the big winner of this year’s Best Brands Awards, triumphing in two prestigious categories: Best Confectionery Brand and Best Overall Brand. This double recognition is a testament to the brand’s enduring legacy, exceptional quality, and ability to consistently win the hearts of Belgian consumers.
Have a look at the ranking on our website.
About Serviceplan
Serviceplan Group – Born Integrated
At our Houses of Communication, we combine Strategy & Consulting, Creative & Content, Media & Data and Platform & Technology solutions – services tailored to your individual communication needs.
Our vision & mission – Building Best Brands
Best Brands are not only commercially successful, but also spark strong emotions. These outstanding brands remain etched on the memory of the consumers as something that is innovative and positive. Transforming your brand into a Best Brand – it’s what our 5,500+ people across the globe work in a variety of specialized agencies of our Serviceplan Group.
About NIQ / GfK
NielsenIQ (NIQ) is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. NIQ combined with GfK in 2023, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. Today NIQ has operations in more than 95 countries covering 97% of GDP. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.
For more information, please visit www.niq.com
