Superbrands Romania celebrates 10 years of promoting branding excellence

Romanita Oprea Branding, Creativity

Superbrands Romania celebrated a decade of evaluating and promoting branding culture, a milestone celebrated in the Superbrands Gala honouring major brands in Romania. The anniversary event hosted the awards ceremony for brands designated as Superbrands as a result of scoring and market survey conducted throughout 2015, and the launch of the seventh Superbrands Romania book. Thanks to the strong brands entering the programme, the Superbrands Book is a reference tool on Romania’s potential, as well as for a public interested in a market and a lifestyle dominated by criteria such as quality, distinction and reputation.

The values of a Superbrand: creativity, consistency, honesty and promises kept

Ariel, Bonduelle, Borsec, Carlsberg, Castrol, Catena, DHL, FAN Courier, Gerovital, Lidl, Lufthansa, MedLife, Mobexpert, NIVEA, OMV, Orange, Pampers, Radio ZU, Raiffeisen Bank, Scotch Brite, Sensiblu, Telekom, Tuborg, UniCredit Bank, Urgent Cargus are the 25 brands in various industries and fields that received Superbrands awards in the 2015/2016 edition of the programme.

By means of a branding culture developed creatively and strategically in a keenly competitive market, as well as through a strategic placement of the customer-consumer at centre stage, the current edition’s Superbrands-designated brands have once again brought Romanian creativity onto the highest podium.

Performance honoured outstandingly

The special guests of the Superbrands Gala, Norbert Lux, Managing Director of Superbrands Germany, and Maxim Behar, President of ICCO (International Communications Consultancy Organisation) handed out Superbrands awards at the event along with representatives of the Superbrands Council.

Superbrands Honorary Recognition, at this edition named Most Admired Business Personality in Romania, was awarded to Mr. Steven van Groningen ─ President and CEO of Raiffeisen Bank. Mr. Van Groningen was so given public recognition for his meritorious contribution to the process of changing Romania, by means of projects and outstanding achievements in his profession, as well as for his involvement in social causes. The laudatio for this special moment was given by Mr. Sorin Mindrutescu, CEO of Oracle Romania.

Special awards occasioned by the Superbrands 10-year anniversary were granted to DHL ─ for its performance of being present in all editions of the Superbrands Romania Book, to Procter & Gamble – for succeeding in keeping the highest position for Pampers and Ariel during several consecutive programmes, as well as for the largest number of brands in Top 15 throughout Superbrands Romania editions, and to Telekom ─ for success in imposing its branding culture to the public in record time after entering the Romanian market.

The Guest Brands section honoured this year names such as ArtMark, Business Review and Uber, all representing outstanding brands in their respective fields in Romania, in terms of professionalism and creativity. The Superbrands award given to art auction house ArtMark was handed over by the Superbrands representatives to Mr. Horia Roman Patapievici.

The Superbrands Gala was attended by about 170 people from the companies awarded, as well as from the business, cultural and diplomatic environments, journalists and other special guests, and was moderated by Mr. Colin Lovering, Chairman of the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce, as Master of Ceremonies of an evening devoted to the creativity and performance of brands in Romania.

Artist Irina Sarbu and Band, coordinated by mentor Florian Lungu, entertained the gala evening in a warm atmosphere.

The event was organised by BDR Associates, the strategic communications agency that has managed the Superbrands programmes for Romania ever since 2005.

10 years of branding excellence for Superbrands Romania in figures:

  • 7 Superbrands programmes, 7 Superbrands books (5 Consumer Superbrands editions and 2 Business Superbrands editions)
  • Over 1,500 brands in about 50 categories evaluated in every edition
  • 250 success stories shared by brands via Superbrands books
  • 96 personalities of the Romanian business environment in the Superbrands Council
  • A collaboration with Ipsos and Nielsen, two of the most prestigious research institutes in the world
  • Over 20,000 Superbrands books distributed nationally and internationally
  • The programmes have brought recognition to more than 180 Brand Guardians of various companies and industries, experts in branding, marketing and communication, who have contributed to the success of brands in the Romanian market

The Superbrands organisation operates in over 80 countries, for over 20 years stimulating proactively the development of local markets through specialized branding programmes and by publishing Superbrands books that honour brand reputation as well as the communication industry in each country.

Having entered the Romanian market in 2005 via the strategic communication and public relations agency BDR Associates, the Superbrands organisation 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 models of success in branding and communication. The Superbrands programmes in Romania have brought together 96 experts and professionals in management, marketing, communication, branding and other areas.

The strategic communication and public relations agency BDR Associates is the exclusive affiliate in Romania of Hill + Knowlton Strategies, part of WPP, one of the largest international communication groups in the world. Founded in 1995, BDR Associates has offered over time professional assistance in the field of strategic communication and public relations for hundreds of clients, including major multinational and national companies, government institutions, international organisations, associations and non-government agencies in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. BDR is the first specialised Romanian agency which opened an office abroad, in the Republic of Moldova, in 2002. In 2005, BDR Associates became the partner appointed by the International Superbrands Organisation to implement the Superbrands programmes in Romania and publish the Superbrands books. BDR is also the first PR agency in Romania that won, in 2006, the highly reputable Sabre award for Best Practice in Central and Eastern Europe. The company has also developed communication projects in other markets such as Georgia, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Lithuania, Croatia and others. Since 2007, BDR Associates has been a partner of CEC Government Relations in developing Public Affairs projects in Romania and the EU, providing high calibre support to large international companies in areas such as energy, non-cash payments, global investment funds, transport and courier services, and other priority areas. BDR Associates proposes a team of highly ethical professionals, as professionalism and integrity are the fundamental values of the agency in delivering measurable results to local and international clients.