Brussels, 21 March 2024. For the 9^th consecutive year, the Best Brands Awards recognise Belgium’s favourite brands in 20 different business sectors. This ranking was unveiled today at a gala event celebrating Belgians’ favourite brands, which has become a not-to-be-missed event for marketing and communication professionals.  

 Launched in Munich in 2004 by the communication agency, Serviceplan, with GfK - An NIQ Company, as insights and study partner, before expanding to other countries (France, Italy, Poland, etc.), the Best Brands Awards are today considered to be THE barometer of brand performance. Indeed, it is not the subjective opinion of a jury of professionals that dictates the choice of winners, but consumers themselves, based on two criteria: Share of Wallet, or economic success of a brand (market share, price premium or consumer first choice) and Share of Soul, or the attractiveness of the brand for consumers (brand awareness, image and experience, momentum, attachment and the potential for cross-selling).     

In Belgium, the Best Brands ranking is based on an online survey carried out by GfK among 4.500 consumers, representative of the national population. For this 9^th edition, 289 brands from 20 business sectors were evaluated.

As crises become a norm, the Best Brands Awards stand as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of Belgium's favourite brands. This recognition emphasizes their remarkable ability to innovate and remain relevant in our ever-evolving era. 

A GENERAL RANKING WITH SOME SURPRISES   

 The names of all the winners were revealed during the Best Brands Awards gala event, which took place at Docks Dome on March 21, in the presence of guests from the world of business, advertising and media:   

·                 Alpro - Best Dairy & Plant-Based Brand  

·                 Bic - Best Stationery Brand 

·                 Bosch Power Tools - Best Tools & Machines Brand 

·                 Coca-Cola - Best Non-Alcoholic Soft & Fruit Drinks Brand

·                 Colruyt - Best Retail FMCG Brand  

·                 Coolblue - Best Retail Hi-Fi Electro Brand

·                 Côte d'Or - Best Sweet Snacks Brand  

·                 Dyson - Best Home Comfort Brand 

·                 Gardena - Best Gardening Brand   

·                 Hewlett-Packard - Best IT Brand  

·                 Hubo - Best Retail DIY & Garden Brand  

·                 Lab9 - Best Momentum Brand (special category) 

·                 Lay’s - Best Salty Snacks & Best Product Brand all sectors 

·                 Levis - Best Renovation & Decoration Brand 

·                 Martini - Best Liquors & Spirits Brand  

·                 Mercedes-Benz - Best Automotive Brand 

·                 Miele - Best Large Domestic Appliances Brand 

·                 Philips - Best Kitchen Appliances Brand  

·                 Royal Canin - Best Pet Care Brand 

·                 Samsung - Best Audio & Video Brand 

·                 Spa - Best Water Brand 

A certain number of brands confirm their leadership from one year to the next. This is the case for Samsung, Colruyt, Gardena, Martini, Miele, Philips and Royal Canin. Lay’s picked up first place for the “Best Product Scores” all sectors combined, dethroning Samsung who dropped to 2^nd place in the overall ranking. Coca-Cola, also a usual suspect of the Best Product podium, finds itself in the 8^th position this year (compared to 5^th for 2023), with a lower Share of Soul than previous editions.

SOME REVERSALS OF POSITION    

Mercedes-Benz dethrones Volkswagen from first place in the automotive category and VW exits the podium! Mercedes-Benz outperforms its competitors by having a stronger Share of Soul than its competitors, ultimately resulting in a win. BMW holds second place with a stronger Share of Wallet, but weaker Share of Soul. 

RISE OF CERTAIN CHALLENGERS    

Every year, the Best Brands Awards 2024 witness the rise of several challengers, reshaping the competitive landscape. Dyson, a newcomer, not only made first place in the Best Home Comfort Brand category, but also secured the second position in "Best Momentum Brand”. Toyota, claiming the third spot in both the Automotive and Momentum categories, showcased its prowess in maintaining consistent appeal. Bret’s, an independent crisp brand from France, managed to dethrone giants like Doritos and Pringles, illustrating the impressive potential of smaller players. Edgard & Cooper disrupted the dominance of Mars Petcare brands, while Spa & Fruits replaced Ice Tea on the podium of the Best Water Brands. Evian also replaced Chaudfontaine on the podium, and Coolblue, a pure player and newcomer in the top 3 of Best Retail Hi-Fi Electro Brands, further contributed to the dynamic shifts observed by winning first place for the first time ever. 

BEST MOMENTUM BRAND

The 289 brands included in the 2024 study not only vied for top positions in their respective sectors, but also qualified for consideration in the "Best Momentum Brand" category. For the Best Momentum Brands award, we therefore nominate the brands that are (still) able to generate strong momentum in challenging market conditions and are crisis resilient based on Sales Development, Market Share Development, and Agile/Innovative Positioning. The Best Momentum Brand has been attributed to Lab9.

Would you like to find out more? Send a message to the contact people below or visit the website www.bestbrands.be.

Contact Serviceplan Group Belux 
Chloé Le Garrec, Marketing Manager, c.legarrec@house-of-communication.com, +32 (0)494 077 208. 

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 6,000+ people across the globe work in a variety of specialized agencies of our Serviceplan Group.  

Contact GfK - An NIQ Company Belgium

Laura Gilson, Commercial Sales Manager, Laura.Gilson@gfk.com, +32 (0)472 59 73 02. 

GfK. Growth from Knowledge.

For over 89 years, clients around the world have trusted us to provide data-driven answers to key questions for their decision-making processes. We support their growth through our comprehensive understanding of buying behavior and the dynamics that influence markets, brands, and media trends. In 2023, industry leaders GfK and NIQ merged to offer their clients unparalleled global reach. With a holistic view of retail and the most comprehensive consumer insights, provided by forward-looking analytics on state-of-the-art platforms, GfK is driving “Growth from Knowledge.”_ 

More information is available at www.gfk.com.