The Top 50 South African brands have been announced by Brand South Africa and Brand Africa Finance. These brands are said to contribute not only to the country’s economy, but to the image they portray when doing business internationally.
Melissa Javan
A brand’s performance, its relationship with its customers, and the money the brand spends on equity, were the key pillars of success, Thebe Ikalafeng, the chief executive officer of Brand Africa said yesterday at the announcement of the country’s Top 50 Brands of 2015.
Brand South Africa and Brand Africa hosted the breakfast announcement, which took place in Houghton, Johannesburg.
It was the third annual study undertaken by Brand Africa, said the organisers. The study found that the top 50 corporate brands in South Africa were valued at approximately R1.5-trillion, with many of these companies also contributing to national priorities such as uplifting identified and targeted communities.
Retail group Woolworths and First National Bank are the strongest brands in South Africa for 2014/2015. The cellphone network MTN is the Top Valuable Brand in the country.
Brands are assets
Ikalafeng said brands had become more than just a logo or slogan. “They are now seen as corporate assets which are amongst the most valuable that an organisation can have. By extension, national corporate brands also contribute to a nation’s assets in terms of the value they add to the country – both in terms of (gross domestic product) as well as reputational impact,” he said.
“The brand managers and executives who oversee and manage these brands therefore play their part to contribute to corporate profitability and visibility and we at Brand South Africa and Brand Africa Finance salute you.”
Brand South Africa’s chief executive officer, Kingsley Makhubela, stressed that while developing, strengthening and maintaining a nation’s brand was a multifaceted task, there were a range of factors that could help to position the nation positively.
“These factors, if based on a solid foundation, can help the nation brand weather the storms posed by the global political and economic environment. One of these factors (is) national corporate entities,” said Makhubela.
“Your excellence in the corporate field contributes immensely to the strength and positive reputation of the South African nation brand. Your brands are sometimes the first point of contact between consumers and the South African nation, especially where corporate brands have an international footprint.”
The Top 50 Brands’ product quality, customer service and ethical framework, he said, contributed to perceptions about South Africa’s spirit of ubuntu, its innovation, and “the values that the country drives”. “South Africa’s corporate sector is therefore critical to enabling Brand South Africa to position the country as an attractive inward destination of choice.”
Customers, the focus
Pratiksha Jekison-Singh, the senior manager of brand communications and media at MTN, welcomed the win, especially following the recent strikes and structural changes within the company.
“Our customers are the core focus, the centre of our business,” she said. “We’re driving to what’s best for them, looking at their behaviour and educate them on what is best suitable for their needs.”
The Top 50 Brands were a prestigious event. “The brands are competing in the same industry, markets and fields. Yet with competing, we have the same respect for each other, and our goal is to achieve what is best for the country as a whole,” she added.
Kate Fordyce, the head of agency at Woolworths, said the retailer was very proud and honoured to receive this award from Brand South Africa. “This award is testament to the passion and hard work of our people and the loyalty of our customers.
“The Woolworths difference is brought to life by our values such as quality, integrity, energy and sustainability. These same values inform everything we do – from our customer service to our interactions with suppliers and our contribution to the communities in which we operate.”
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Sources: Brand Africa Finance and Brand South Africa
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