View the full Brand Finance Nordic 150 report here
Swedish retail giant IKEA remains the most valuable Nordic brand in 2022 valued at €15 billion
IKEA (brand value down 2% to €15.0 billion) has achieved a decade-long reign as the most valuable brand in the Nordic region, according to the latest report by the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy, Brand Finance. Since the first launch of the Brand Finance Nordic rankings in 2013, IKEA has remained on top every year, staying ahead of challengers such as Volvo (brand value down 19% to €12.2 billion) and H&M (brand value up 4% to €11.0 billion).
Every year, leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the world’s biggest brands to the test, and publishes around 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. The world’s top 150 most valuable and strongest Nordic brands are included in the annual Brand Finance Nordic 150 ranking.
IKEA’s brand value dropped by 2% this year, a reflection of IKEA faced challenges such as lower customer demand and supply chain disruptions over the course of the pandemic. Despite these challenges, IKEA was still able to retain its title as the most valuable Nordic brand for the tenth-consecutive year. Successful initiatives implemented by IKEA such as new product innovations, brand partnerships and the implementation of its “Click and Collect” online service did much to boost its online sales during this period. IKEA also aspires to be climate positive by 2030 by reducing waste through its Circular Hub, a bold aspiration on its sustainability agenda.
Second-ranked Volvo (brand value down 19% to €12.2 billion) with its wide range of electric vehicles are in a strong position to refocus on an EV-led future. With the launch of its fuel cell joint venture and its agreement to form another joint venture for high performance public charging across Europe, Volvo demonstrates its belief that to remain successful and remain at the forefront, collaborations with other leading brands such as its recent venture with Geely Auto, are important.
Anna Brolin, Managing Director, Brand Finance Nordics, commented:
“IKEA’s brand value has sustained significant value for a decade. Despite recent pandemic challenges, IKEA has not faltered in delivering its affordability, design and comfort to people all over the world. Nordic brands are returning to growth but are not quite at their pre-pandemic levels just yet.”
Lego remains strongest Nordic brand with very high AAA brand strength rating
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. Compliant with 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.
Lego (brand value up 13% to €5.2 billion) is the strongest brand in the Nordic region with a Brand Strength Index of 87.5. The Danish toy giant has successfully navigated the ongoing uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic to creatively meet extraordinary consumer demand for its products. In conjunction with other famous brands, Lego is continuing with its development of new, innovative and exciting sets to benefit from the significant brand value associated with other entertainment products.
Lego’s planned expansion with its mix of retail and digital commerce also led to the creation of more immersive and memorable brand experiences. Despite the challenges of bricks and mortar retailing across the world in the midst of a pandemic, this iconic Danish brand expanded further with the opening of 165 branded stores worldwide in 2021.
Viaplay, Philco and Elisa are the fastest growing brands in Nordic ranking
Viaplay (brand value up 94% to €378 million) is one of the world's fastest growing streaming groups with a unique content offering. Following successful launches in Estonia, Holland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and USA, its brand value almost doubled. Viaplay’s vision is to be the most diverse and inclusive storyteller with imminent plans to launch its streaming services in five new markets.
Philco, the second fastest growing Nordic brand, (brand value up 69% to €235 million) is a brand known by generations of customers who associate it with quality appliances and user-friendliness. It is also a brand that is known for being environmentally friendly. Its re-entry into the European market was well received. The Philco brand value grew substantially in this period as consumers took comfort in the familiarity of its trusted brand name.
Elisa (brand value up 67% to €1.2 billion) is the third fastest brand in the ranking and is likely to have achieved significant and subsequent growth through its international investment and acquisition programme as well as by leading on ever important environmental issues, such as when it became the first carbon-neutral mobile operator in Nordic countries.
Sandvik, SKF and OP Bank also achieve rapid brand value growth
Swedish Engineering & Construction industry firm Sandvik (brand value up 59% to €2.2 billion) grew significantly in brand value as a result of the signing of 14 strategic acquisitions. SKF (brand value up 56% to €1.6 billion) also achieved strong brand value growth indicating that despite the many disruptions brought about by the pandemic, the sector’s rebound remains on course.
Finland’s OP Banking brand increased its brand value by 65% to €660 million, correlated with the positive recovery of the Finnish economy as the nation looks towards a post-pandemic future.
Nordic countries all appear on the top 25 list in this year’s Global Soft Power Index
Despite the Nordic countries being small in size and with relatively small economies, it is interesting to note their impressive overall score in the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2022. It illustrates that the world looks favourably on most of the elements that build the Nordic countries’ nation brands.
Amongst 120 nations included in the survey, Sweden ranked 14th, Norway 17th, Denmark 18th and Finland 25th. The Nordic countries scored particularly well in important categories such as “Governance” and “People & Values”.
View the full Brand Finance Nordic 150 report here
ENDS
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. The world’s top 150 most valuable and strongest Nordic brands are included in the Brand Finance Nordic 150 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 Nordic 150 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.
