HSBC is the top international banking brand in the 2009 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands.
The top 100 brands in the annual rankings comprise 17 categories, including financial institutions, insurance, technology, mobile operators, technology, retail and luxury. It is estimated that the total value of the 100 most valuable brands in the world is US$1.95 trillion. HSBC, with an estimated brand value of US$19.1 billion, is the top international banking brand in the financial institution category. In the overall ranking, HSBC is the world’s 30th most valuable brand.
The brand ranking exercise, now in its fourth year, evaluates brands by using economic and market data and proprietary consumer research from BrandZ, the world’s largest study of consumers and business-to-business users’ brand preferences. The study was conducted by global market research company Millward Brown. The dollar value of each brand in the ranking is the sum of all future earnings that brand is forecast to generate, discounted to a present day value. Financial data of the companies was also taken into account.
The BrandZ ranking report says while many Western banks have suffered significant decreases in brand value as a result of the financial crisis, HSBC is the UK-based bank least affected as HSBC “was insulated by [its] strong presence in emerging markets”.
“Suffice to say we are delighted that the HSBC name remains not only widely recognised but also highly valued during these difficult economic times,” says Sandy Flockhart, CEO of HSBC in Asia-Pacific. “Clearly, the global financial crisis has damaged the reputation of the banking sector in general with the total brand value of the industry declining by 11 per cent. What is also clear is that not all banks are the same: HSBC’s brand actually gained value – a testament to our financial strength and to the commitment of our staff in upholding HSBC’s long-standing values.”
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