View the full Brand Finance Ireland 25 2022 report here
Guinness (brand value up 4% to just above €2.2 billion) has recaptured the number one place on the ranking of the most valuable Irish brands in the world, according to the new Brand Finance Ireland 25 2022 report by leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance. Guinness has retaken the top spot after the Primark/Penneys brand value fell 10% to just below €2.2 billion.
Every year, Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the biggest brands to the test, and publishes nearly 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. Ireland’s top 25 most valuable and strongest brands are included in a dedicated national ranking – the Brand Finance Ireland 25 2022.
With restrictions on social gatherings falling away as people look towards a post-COVID-19 future, sales of Guinness are returning to growth across these Isles and globally. The iconic Irish beer brand has built a brand based upon looking and tasting unique in an incredibly crowded marketplace globally – which has contributed to its brand strength.
It is likely that significant entertainment and travel expenditure was lost during the pandemic – but given the strong household balance sheets in Ireland and across Europe, it is reasonable to assume that a significant amount of such expenditure has merely been deferred. Central Bank figures show that Irish households now have aggregate wealth approaching €1 trillion, boosted this year by rising stock market values and housing wealth. This wealth is differentiated by generational cohort, with younger people suffering the effects of inflation while older and wealthier households own significant investments in assets less vulnerable to inflation such as housing and equity boosted by significant quantitative easing.
Simon Haigh, Agent for Brand Finance Ireland, commented:
“Some Guinness customers see drinking Guinness as an important part of their lifestyle. This is a testament to the extraordinary brand strength that Guinness has built. Such strength reflects their skill in navigating the challenges of COVID-19, the challenges of serving a changing customer base, and doing all this while honouring the brand legacy that they have built since 1759. The Guinness brand is in an excellent position as people get back to gathering, celebrating, and drinking.”
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Certified by ISO 20671, Brand Finance’s assessment of stakeholder equity incorporates original market research data from over 100,000 respondents in more than 35 countries and across nearly 30 sectors.
In addition to being the most valuable Irish brand, Guinness is also the strongest brand in the ranking with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 85.3 out of 100. The brand has sought to leverage its iconic history with innovative new ideas – such as its new MicroDraught which seeks to enable smaller bars to sell the Guinness stout without ordering whole kegs. Guinness is famous for imposing very specific pour and temperature requirements upon bars and restaurants as part of its effort to maintain a very high brand strength across the world.
Penneys falls to second amongst doubt over online offering
Penneys has fallen from first to second position as the second most valuable Irish brand with their brand value falling 10% to just below €2.2 billion, only marginally behind the value of the Guinness brand. The discount clothing chain of stores lost value for the second consecutive year, a reflection of the difficult operating conditions for a retailer which is reluctant to offer online purchases.
Primark/Penneys is well known to its customers as affording very affordable clothing, and consequently operates on narrow margins as it seeks to efficiently minimise costs. This inherently requires significant economies of scale which are difficult to meet with individually sorted and delivered packages to customers using an online sales channel.
Trifecta of big Irish construction and engineering brands are booming
A trio of three big Irish construction and engineering brands are booming as the world looks to adjust to a post-COVID-19 world. Ardagh Group (brand value up 36% to €0.9 billion) was the second-fastest growing brand amongst the Top 25 most valuable Irish brands, with Kingspan (brand value up 33% to €1.3 billion) and Smurfit Kappa (brand value up 18% to €1.8 billion) each achieving strong brand value growth.
While consumer demands for improved sustainability are growing across the world, the brand value of these three business-to-business brands are increasing in conjunction with significant efforts to improve sustainability. Both Ardagh Group and Kingspan in particular are making substantial efforts to adjust their brands to be more focused on sustainability and delivering for their business customers - With the growth of ESG investing globally, this is likely to be driven by all of business customers, end-user demand, and investor feedback.
Ryanair returns to the skies after COVID-19 disruption
Ryanair (brand value up 26% to €2.1 billion) has returned to brand value growth this year, with brand value now back marginally above where it stood prior to the pandemic. The conclusion of COVID-19 travel restrictions is obviously a key driver in this brand value growth, with Ryanair likely to be the future beneficiary of significant pent-up demand. This is the same delayed consumption discussed above in the context of Guinness and COVID-19 restrictions: some consumption and travel was prevented by restrictions, but some was delayed to the future. As a result, this is projected to lead to significant brand value for Ryanair now and into the future as more people travel in coming months and years.
View the full Brand Finance Ireland 25 2022 report here
Note to Editors
Every year, leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the biggest brands to the test, and publishes nearly 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. Ireland’s top 25 most valuable and strongest brands are included in the Brand Finance Ireland 25 ranking.
Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market. Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors.
The full ranking, additional insights, charts, more information about the methodology, and definitions of key terms are available in the Brand Finance Ireland 25 report.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance for more than 25 years, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organizations of all kinds make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance has offices in over 20 countries, offering services on all continents. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 5,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on over 5,000 brands, surveying more than 150,000 respondents across 38 countries and 31 industry sectors. Combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database enables Brand Finance to arm brand leaders with the data and analytics they need to enhance brand and business value.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm, leading the standardization of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
