Superbrands Romania, represented on the local market by the strategic communication agency BDR Associates, celebrated the brands with exceptional performance in 2017, at the award ceremony gala for excellence in branding.



Symbolically titled "Brands Kingdom: 100 Years and Centuries Ahead", in honour of the 100th anniversary of the Great Union, the eighth edition of the Gala awarded trophies to 30 exceptional brands designated Superbrands in Romania in 2017. On to the stage climbed the representatives of Ariston, Bonduelle, Borsec, Castrol, Catena, DHL, FAN Courier, Fashion Days, Garanti Bank, Gerovital, Head & Shoulders, Helpnet, Jidvei, JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel, Karcher, Humanitas bookstores, Medlife, Mega Image, Mobexpert, Nivea, Olympus, Orange, Provident, Radio Zu, Raiffeisen Bank and Visa, along with leaders of such institutions as Amcham, Artmark, Business Review and Junior Achievement, among those who received the vote of the Honorary Council for being granted Superbrand status, based on established criteria such as quality, integrity and trust.



The award ceremony took place in the presence of Petro Diogo Vaz, CEO of Superbrands Portugal.

"We are glad to honour a strong and visionary business community, governed by exceptional leaders, be they multinational companies' leaders, successful entrepreneurs, or leaders in other areas that support business development. We are glad to also highlight the creativity and strategic thinking of marketing, branding and communication experts, the brilliant minds that give absolute life to brands, building reputation, the most valuable asset in business and beyond. The contribution of business brands to the image capital of our country is huge. For Superbrands, it is a privilege to build a high podium for leaders and role models, unbeatable values that make Romania move forward regardless of the times", says Catalina Rousseau, President & CEO of BDR Associates and Country Manager, Superbrands Romania.



"Despite the challenges of the past few years, the brands that receive Superbrand status this year emphasize the fact that Romanians are more attentive to the quality of life than 10 years ago. The focus on product quality, the transition from consumerism to well-being, the respect for the community proven by brands, their accountability and sustainability are such values that consumers take into consideration when designating Superbrand-status brands in Romania. We believe that the winning Superbrands of the following years will seek creative resources and inspiration for development precisely in this very personal relationship with values and quality of life", says Raluca Costache, Chief Executive & Managing Director of Superbrands Programmes Romania.

Honorary recognition

The festive gala included three Honorary Recognition moments, dedicated to celebrating leaders, performance, sustainable values and creativity. Mrs. Mariana Gheorghe, CEO and Chairman of the OMV Petrom Board, climbed on to the podium, designated by Superbrands Romania as the Most Admired Business Personality in 2017, her Laudatio was given by Steven van Groningen, Raiffeisen Bank CEO, who was honoured with the same award at the previous Superbrands gala.

The production team of "Romania, I Love You!", a PROTV News program, received the Superbrands honorary trophy for their 10-year-old excellence in making history in television, the Laudatio speech was given by Ireland's Peter Hurley, who equally praised Romanians and Romania for their language, faith, traditions, the Carpathian Mountains and their spirit of sacrifice, thus deeply impressing the gala participants.

Honorary Recognition given to century-old brands

Out of respect for the historic 100th anniversary of the Great Union, under the symbolic slogan "100 Years, Centuries Ahead", strong centennial brands were celebrated, that had defeated time and made history, continuing to dominate market segments or life styles. National Bank of Romania, Borsec, Casa Capsa, CEC Bank, Rhein & CIE Azuga Cellars, Purcari and Houbigant-Quelques Fleurs, a brand loved by Queen Maria, received Centenary Brand Diplomas awarded by His Royal Highness Prince Radu of Romania.

The Gala saw the launch of the eighth "Superbrands" book, a reference tool on Romania's potential, a milestone for the public interested in a market and a lifestyle dominated by criteria such as reputation, quality, dynamism, market distinction. In Romania, as anywhere else in the world, the Superbrand status strengthens a brand's position, adds prestige to it and reassures its consumers or business partners that their choice is the best, as it is guaranteed by an impeccable reputation.

The Superbrands Gala, which took place at JW Marriott Hotel, was attended by nearly 180 top business representatives, ambassadors, diplomats, culture and creative industries personalities, opinion leaders in other fields, leading journalists. The master of ceremonies was Colin Lovering, Charmain of the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce, while high-quality artistic moments were provided by the pop-opera band Ad Libitum Voices from Cluj.

Superbrands operates in nearly 100 countries around the world, proactively stimulating, for over 25 years, the development of local markets through specialized branding programmes and the publication of the Superbrands books that celebrate brand reputation culture, as well as the communication industry in each country.

About Superbrands Romania: Having been present in Romania since 2005 through the strategic communication and public relations agency BDR Associates, the Superbrands organization develops programmes dedicated to the Romanian market and the local branding culture. The programmes carried out so far, including five Consumer Superbrands editions (2006, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015) and two Business Superbrands editions (2007 and 2008), have provided more than 250 successful role models in branding and communication. The Superbrands programmes in Romania have brought together over 120 specialists and professionals in management, marketing, communication, branding and other areas in the Superbrands Honorary Council. More information about the Superbrands Romania programme is available at www.superbrands-romania.com.

About BDR Associates: Founded in 1995, the strategic communication and public relations agency BDR Associates is the exclusive affiliate in Romania of Hill + Knowlton Strategies, part of the WPP Group, one of the world's largest international communication groups. BDR Associates has expanded its operations to other markets since 2002, when it opened its first communication agency in the Republic of Moldova. BDR Associates provides strategic communication, public affairs and crisis management services, specialized training, other services for multinational companies or entrepreneurs, international and non-governmental organizations, and other customer categories, having developed strategic partnerships with various consulting companies across Europe and other regions over the years, thus becoming a leading communication agency in the region. Find more details at: http://www.bdrassociates.com/.