BDR Associates announces the first results of the Superbrands survey conducted in partnership with IPSOS in the February-March 2017 period. FAN Courier is ranked first in the Superbrands Top 15 of 2017, a significant jump from the previous edition of the programme. This is the second time in the over 10 years' history of Superbrands in Romania when a Romanian brand leads the top, while this performance has only been achieved by Borsec, in the 2011/2012 edition of Superbrands. The top 15 brands designated as Superbrands in Romania in 2017 include: FAN Courier; Visa; Köber; Decathlon; Lego; Pampers; Humanitas; eMag; Dedeman; Orbit; Mercedes-Benz; Borsec; olx.ro; Catena; Samsung.
"At the first edition of the Superbrands Romania programme, which we implemented in 2005-2006, we looked with admiration at Finland's Superbrands book which was composed entirely of global brands of Finnish origin. We wondered then, as our programme was pioneering, if we'd ever witness such a strong performance in Romania. We are now living this effervescent phenomenon of Romanian brands climbing the stairs of impeccable reputation through branding excellence, coupled with quality and innovation. We know there are brands born in Romania such as Borsec, Dacia and Ursus whose reputation has long crossed the country's borders, becoming international and increasing Romania's image capital. Today Romanian brands are shining alongside established international brands, equally contributing to improving living standards and we must bring recognition to them", said Catalina Rousseau, Country Manager Superbrands Romania.
E-commerce is the new dominant in business development, along with strategies targeted primarily to consumers
Online commerce, which has been on an upward and very dynamic trend in recent years, has pushed and strengthened in the Top 15 Superbrands some young brands such as FAN Courier, eMAG, olx.ro, alongside established online financial services brands, such as Visa (ranked 2nd in Top 15 Superbrands in 2017).
In the context of digitization as a global business direction, the brands that knew how to empathize with consumer priorities, to meet their expectations at the right time and with the right message, have gained customer loyalty. Relevant examples include Catena, Samsung and Orbit, which conducted well-targeted marketing and communication campaigns, tailored to specific customer segments, as well as Decathlon or Dedeman, with an active presence in various online and offline segments, with Dedeman being for the second consecutive time in Top 15 Superbrands in the last three years.
With a strong dynamism both online and offline, construction sector brands have gone up to higher rankings in the Top 15 Superbrands of 2017 (Köber - ranked 3rd, Dedeman - ranked 9th).
Tradition, supported by innovation, continues to matter to Romanians when choosing brands
Brands with history, such as Borsec, Pampers, Mercedes-Benz, have maintained a respectable presence in Top 15 Superbrands, because they are brands that have reconfirmed their promises to consumers and managed to keep up with consumer needs and new consumption habits present in the market, such as the Romanian consumers' interest in improving their everyday life, their willingness to invest more in quality home, health, food and personal care products.
Innovation is one of the main attributes that consumers associate with Superbrand status in Romania. Therefore, the economic categories that have generated most brands with Superbrands status this year include home appliances and consumer electronics, cars, technology as well as FMCG sectors products such as personal and home care products.
Also, product quality and the benefits enjoyed by the consumer in choosing a product play as important a role as the price. This trend is already beginning to become established as a market attribute as economic conditions improve (decreasing unemployment rate) and consumer education requires quality. A relevant example is Mercedes Benz which has remained in the Top 15 Superbrands in nearly every Superbrands edition held in Romania.
Tradition and innovation, local concept with world class performance
Local branding culture has increasingly found its place in consumers' hearts: we can find twice as many eligible Romanian brands in the 2016/2017 edition of Top 15, compared with the 2015/2016 edition. Trust in Romanian brands unites various generations and social categories, outlining a new diversified Top 15, including already established presences such as Borsec, eMag, Dedeman, as well as outstanding newcomers: FAN Courier, Köber, Humanitas.
The construction sector seems to have exploited the best of both worlds: strong dynamism both online and offline, which has increased the number of brands eligible as Superbrands in 2017 and brought two players to Top 15: # 3 - Köber and # 9 - Dedeman.
The new consumer's profile: a generation in pursuit of happiness
Price ceases to be a decisive factor in the consumer-brand relationship, while passion for innovation, concern for the future and community involvement become crucial. The same trend is transposed into the segments that make up the Top 15, where the lifestyle, culture and entertainment areas have gained ground with brands such as Humanitas, Lego and Decathlon. These issues demonstrate, once again, the priorities transition from the social scale conquest and consumerism, to well-being, respect for the community, responsibility and sustainability - elements defining the new consumer's profile.
About the survey: The list of brands eligible for Superbrand status was obtained based on the Superbrands international methodology including two important phases. In the first stage, the Superbrands Council, consisting of 30 management, marketing, communication and branding experts, provided a qualitative selection of the list of brands, evaluating 1,223 brands in 52 categories. The criteria considered in the selection process were reputation, trust, quality and market distinction. Following this selection, 653 qualified brands were included in the market research, conducted by Superbrands Romania with the support of Ipsos, on a representative sample of 1,501 Romanian consumers at urban level. The final results of the research reflect the Romanian consumers' choices for the 370 brands eligible for Superbrand status on the Romania market. The full list of brands with Superbrands status in Romania for the current programme will be published in the Superbrands Romania book, 2017 edition.
