New Brand Finance data reveals banking, logistics and energy brands shape Austria’s brand value story in 2026
VIENNA, 8 September 2026 – Austria’s top 25 brands increased their combined brand value by 16% year-on-year to EUR46.8 billion in 2026, marking a historic high for the ranking and placing Austria ahead of fellow DACH nations Switzerland and Germany for brand value growth this year, according to the Austria 25 2026 ranking by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. The milestone gives the results a wider regional significance, showing that Austria’s leading brands are building value with unusual pace despite a cautious economic backdrop. The ranking reveals a brand landscape led by globally recognised consumer names, regionally significant banks, and companies central to Austria’s mobility, energy, and infrastructure ecosystem.
The results arrive as Austria moves through a cautious economic recovery following a period of weak output and subdued domestic demand. External forecasts point to easing inflation and a gradual improvement in household consumption, while labour market conditions remain comparatively stable. Against this backdrop, the strongest brand value gains come from companies with scale, recurring revenue, and exposure to structural shifts in finance, mobility, energy, and consumer spending.
Red Bull (brand value up 22% to EUR10.6 billion) leads the ranking for the sixth consecutive year, remaining Austria’s most valuable brand by a significant margin. Its performance reflects the continued globalisation of an Austrian-founded brand that now operates as a consumer, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle platform. Record revenues, higher sales volumes, and broad international reach continue to reinforce Red Bull’s position as one of Austria’s most visible global brands.
Banking forms the largest sector in the Austria 25 ranking, contributing 29% of total brand value. Erste (brand value up 29% to EUR7.9 billion) retains second place, while Raiffeisen Bank (brand value up 27% to EUR3.9 billion) remains Austria’s third most valuable brand. Further down the ranking, Bank Austria (brand value up 35% to EUR1.3 billion) and BAWAG PSK (brand value up 39% to EUR718 million) add to the sector’s momentum, supported by resilient customer activity, regional exposure across Central and Eastern Europe, and strategic expansion.
Breaking into the top five this year, ÖBB (brand value up 21% to EUR2.1 billion) rises to fifth place, overtaking Billa. The rail operator’s growth adds a mobility and infrastructure dimension to the ranking, reflecting the increasing value of lower-carbon transport as European policy, commuter behaviour, and corporate sustainability priorities continue to evolve. Record passenger volumes, operational resilience, and network expansion have supported ÖBB’s recent momentum.
BAWAG PSK is the fastest-growing brand in the Austria 25 2026 ranking, Its rise reflects stronger revenue expectations following the expansion of its consumer-finance footprint beyond Austria, including greater scale in Germany and a broader DACH/NL retail growth strategy.
Verbund (brand value up 26% to EUR1.1 billion) underlines the rising relevance of electricity, renewables, and energy security, while Austrian Post (brand value up 33% to EUR808 million) shows the continued importance of national logistics infrastructure as e-commerce reshapes consumer expectations. New entrants also add fresh sector depth: EVN enters the ranking this year at 24th with brand value of EUR415 million, while mömax enters at 21st, with brand value up 49% to EUR516 million, reflecting demand for value-conscious retail formats as consumers remain selective in discretionary spending.
Cristobal Pohle Vazquez, Associate Director, Brand Finance, commented:
“Austria’s leading brands are delivering growth despite a cautious economic backdrop. Red Bull demonstrates the global value that Austrian brans can create at scale, while Erste, Raiffeisen Bank, and BAWAG PSK underline the strength of the country’s financial sector. At the same time, the gains made by ÖBB, Verbund, and Austrian Post shows how mobility, energy, and logistics are becoming a more significant part of Austria’s brand value story.”
As economic conditions gradually improve, Austria’s leading brands will need to keep converting scale and operational performance into clear market positioning. Those that can strengthen relevance with consumers, customers, and stakeholders are likely to be best placed to protect and grow brand value at home and abroad.
Other Notable Mentions
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 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 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation 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.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
