How the programme works

The Superbrands Organisation identifies and pays tribute to exceptional brands by recognising, rewarding, and reinforcing leading brands from all over the world. This is done by a selection process, which indicates which brands are qualified for inclusion in each project.

At the heart of all the programmes is an independent and voluntary council of leading experts comprising individuals with a deep appreciation of the brand landscape in the country being examined.

At the start of every programme, Superbrands compiles an extended database of the most visible and noteworthy brands operating in the market. In building this database, they use a range of relevant local sources and statistic data and analyses of leading independent market research agencies that are partners of the organisation in the fulfilment of the project. No brand is asked to, or can submit, an entry - unlike award scheme, all brands are considered. This extended list of potential Superbrands is sent to the independent council whose role is to rate the brands.

The brands that attain Superbrand Status are selected from brands highly rated by the independent and voluntary Superbrands Council. Council’s members individually score each brand on the list from 1-10, based on their opinion on the brand strength. Superbrands Council members do not score any brand that they are currently involved with or which is a direct competitor. Superbrands then tabulates the scores Council members have allocated to each brand. The lowest-scoring brands are eliminated at this stage, whilst the highly rated qualify for the status.

The definition of a Superbrand that Superbrands Council members bear in mind when scoring is as follows:
"A Superbrand has established the finest reputation in its field. It offers customers significant emotional and/or tangible advantages over its competitors, which (consciously or sub-consciously) customers want and recognise."
 
Superbrands Council is primarily concerned with each brand's status within the country being observed.
The subjective nature of the judging process is necessary to be able to compare brands of different sizes and in different industries purely on brand strength and within a sensible time frame. For example, if we were to take data on market share, value of sales and market capitalisation between say a motor car manufacturer and a cooking sauce brand these will offer very different results not necessarily based on any difference in the strength of these brands but due to the dynamics of those sectors. The only arbiter in this case is the feeling of the Council members in particular, and their impressions about the brand strength.

By identifying some of the strongest brands, and providing their case histories, the organisation hopes that people will gain a greater appreciation of the discipline of branding and a greater admiration for the brands themselves.
 
At the second stage of the programme, Superbrands invite only the most highly rated brands to join the programme. In such way, Superbrand status is reached only by the stars among all the brands on the national market.

The companies that own the brands evaluated as Superbrands are invited to participate in the wider promotional activities surrounding the programme and tell their brand’s unique story of outstanding success on a two pages spread of the book of the same name in the country where the programme is carried out. This is an original book of the most remarkable brands, famous as the Branding Bible. The edition has a wide range of readers, authority and trust among the business spheres, key audiences and customers because it gives an excellent picture of the leaders on the national market and in the process of its development.  
 
The book is very luxurious large format edition. It follows strictly the high standards of the Superbrands organisation. The members of the Superbrands Council for each country along with a short professional resume and a photo are published at the front.
 
The culmination of the project is a prestigious Tribute Event dedicated to the Superbrands and to the premier of the book, an event that is defined by the media in many countries as the Oscars of branding. The event attracts huge media interest and in its focus are the Superbrands on the local market.

The programme is endorsed in UK by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising and the British Brands Group.