Branding Glory

The third standalone edition of the Brands Annual
features the avant-garde of branding in Sri Lanka.

Google, Brand Finance says, is the world’s most valuable brand right now. The international firm valued the US-based high-tech brand at a whopping 44 billion dollars in early March, whilst Forbes’ assessment of Google’s brand value at around the same time last year was not far short of US$ 40 billion – it had the world’s favourite search engine in fifth place, with Apple taking top spot with a brand value of some 57 billion dollars, which is higher than Sri Lanka’s US$ 50 billion or thereabouts annual GDP.

Talking about Sri Lanka and Brand Finance, this edition of the Brands Annual features the latter’s rankings of the most valuable brands in this country – in a standalone special edition for the third year in a row. And three state banks, all giants in their own right, retain their leadership positions of the last two years: the Bank Of Ceylon brand is worth Rs. 16.7 billion, followed by arch rival People’s Bank (Rs. 16.6 billion) and National Savings Bank (Rs. 11.5 billion).

But while the status quo prevails on the surface at least, the movers and shakers this year come from the ranks of what Brand Finance refers to as the “new brigade”.

The likes of Laugfs and Odel storm into the 2011 rankings following their landmark IPOs of last year; and with a string of successful listings since then and many more in the pipeline, it is highly likely that next year’s Brands Annual will see more of the same – new faces making the cut, at the expense of others who have thus far stood the test of time, but fail to push the branding button proactively in the face of change in the future.

In the meantime, this special edition continues to attract the attention of a wide readership, with bookstores and supermarkets all but selling out for the second consecutive year… not only because the valuations and rankings are unique in this country, but perhaps in view of some 40 brand guardians accepting our invitation to be profiled in this special issue.

On a closing note, Media Services proudly acknowledges its flagship LMD’s ranking amongst the top 100 unlisted or private brands for the first time – and like its humbling Super­brand status of not too long ago, LMD is the only magazine that features in the line-up of leading brands here, in Sri Lanka. LMD’s DNA stems from its pioneering roots. Likewise, the Brands Annual’s success story bears testimony to another pioneer, Brand Finance.

Which is why the Brand Finance- Media Services endeavour, to compile and present Sri Lanka’s leading brands, is a win-win collaboration. 

– LMD/Media Services