For the fourth consecutive year, Interbrand Amsterdam, together with Tijdschrift voor Marketing, has mapped the dynamics of the world of Dutch media brands. We conducted an online quantitative, representative study with 1,000 respondents and evaluated more than 70 media brands.

In addition to producing the ranking of the 25 strongest Dutch media brands, we also extracted key insights outlined here:

Crossing the borders continues

In last year's results we learned that the borders of media of media channels have become more and more blurred. We continue to see media convergence happening. 

Traditional channels like newspapers, magazines, radio and television are growing toward each other. This leads to big changes in media consumption. It's not a surprise then that the internet plays a big role in this.

Two of the strongest brands on this year's list, NU.nl and Uitzendinggemist.nl, demonstrate this. Both are digital brands delivering content that once exclusively belonged to traditional media models. NU.nl is a digital news site providing content once solely the domain of newspapers and magazines. Uitzendinggemist.nl, a media portal, can be seen as an online television platform for missed broadcasts.

Freedom is key

We found many Dutch media brands have room to grow in terms of the Brand Strength Factors Relevance and Differentiation. Brand Strength Factors are the indicators with which we measure brand value. In total there are ten factors. 

Six of these — Authenticity, Relevance, Differentiation, Consistency, Presence and Understanding — are externally focused. These factors measure to what extent a brand's impact on its target audience's behavior is maximized.

These external factors are used in determining the brand values of brands we work with at Interbrand, in our annual global reports and here in our evaluations for Best Dutch Media Brands 2013. The other four of the ten Brand Strength Factors are internal — Clarity, Commitment, Protection and Responsiveness — and measure to what extent the organization can deliver on its promises.

Overall in the case of the 70+ brands we evaluated for our Best Dutch Media Brands 2013 report, we found the scores on Relevance and Differentiation were the lowest of all the external Brand Strength Factors. Consumers perceive that the evaluated media brands can do better in tailoring their offerings to meet their needs. Consumers are not seeing enough distinction between brands.

Uitzendinggemist.nl is a great exception to this. It's one of few brands to offer clearly unique content: true freedom of choice. There's no other brand in the category that delivers the same content. The user experience, or way that the consumer can interact with content — wherever, whenever — provides freedom.

Consumers want to be in control and choose for themselves what and when they consume and through which channel. Ideally, they also have control over the content itself. Think, for example, about preparing your own playlist on Spotify and YouTube or selecting your favorite news categories based on personal interest. Brands that put consumers at their core and respond to freedom of choice with unique content will win on Relevance and Differentiation.

Clearly focus on consumers

The current landscape of Dutch media brands is asking for differentiating, relevant brands with a clear focus on consumers. Consumers are more and more in the lead in a world of media convergence. They decide what, when and how they consume media. Brands need to act on this and bring products and services that address that need to the marketplace.

It becomes more important to be consistently present with relevant content over a broad palette of media types with a focus on digital. Brands that do this best will be brands that can attract demanding consumers who will be loyal to their brand.

Best Dutch Media Brands 2013

Number in () is ranking from 2012. A "-" indicates the brand was not ranked in the top 25 in the 2012 report.

1. NU.nl (2)
2. Uitzending Gemist (14)
3. Nederland 1 (1)
4. RTL 4 (5)
5. Donald Duck (6)
6. TVGids.nl (-)
7. BNR Nieuwsradio (24)
8. Nederland 3 (13)
9. Sky Radio (17)
10. Radio 2 (19)
11. Radio 1 (10)
12. NOS (3)
13. Algemeen Dagblad (8)
14. Quest (-)
15. 3FM (9)
16. Nederland 2 (11)
17. De Telegraaf (4)
18. RTL XL (-)
19. Volkskrant (12)
20. Radio 538 (16)
21. Libelle (7)
22. VPRO (-)
23. Metro (-)
24. Q-music (20)
25. NRC Handelsblad (21)

Marieke Stoffels is Strategy Director, Interbrand Amsterdam.

This blog post is an extract of the full article we wrote for Tijdschrift voor Marketing. The full PDF (in Dutch) can be downloaded at www.inderbrand.nl.

Polls opened at 8am CST in México this morning, beginning a 12-hour historic vote across the nation for the office of president, legislative seats and governors. Looking at these dramatic races, Interbrand México undertook an unprecedented analysis of the candidates, asking, “If the candidates were brands, how strong would they be?”

Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) ruled in Mexico for 71 years before being ousted in 2000 with Vincente Fox’s win. Fox, of Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), inaugurated a 12-year rule for PAN. Presidents in México may only serve a single six-year term, and in 2006 Felipe Calderón of PAN won the seat. PAN’s reign may come to an end today though, as Enrique Peña Nieto of PRI leads in the polls, and gains for PRI in the legislation are also predicted.

Working with México’s leading political market research firm, Consulta Mitofsky, Interbrand examined each candidate using its proprietary Brand Strength Analysis. Six pillars measure brand perception: authenticity, relevance, understanding, consistency, presence and differentiation.

Enrique Peña Nieto is a charismatic former governor, emerging as a front-runner in the presidential election going into today’s vote. Andrés Manuel López Obrador is a former México City mayor and was in the lead in the polls for the presidential race in 2006, losing by half a point to Calderón. Obrador, of the Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD) is in second place in the polls. Coming in third in the polls going into today’s election is Josefina Vázquez Mota, a businesswoman with PAN.

Will the candidate representing the party ousted 12 years ago after seven decades of control win? Will there be a surprise and the winner will be the former mayor who nearly won in 2006 and led controversial street protests after his defeat, protesting the election results, and now is raising the issue of fraud again in 2012 before the vote? Will México see its first female president, retaining control for PAN?

Up for grabs as well are 128 seats in the Cámara de Senadores and 500 seats in the Cámara de Diputados. Also six states are holding gubernatorial races. PRI candidates appear to lead in the polls in these races as well, possibly creating an historic return of the party nationwide.

Interbrand’s analysis of each candidate, unlike traditional reviews of campaigns, examined each as it does traditional brands. As results are in, it will be interesting to see if the candidates with the greatest brand strength dominate today’s elections.

Amy Edel-Vaughn is Interbrand’s Community Manager.

(Note: Interbrand México's report is in Spanish.) 

“First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

So spoke Franklin Delano Roosevelt upon his inauguration in 1933, as America and the world languished in the depths of the Depression. And trepidation, temerity, and uncertainty are with us still. Boom and bust has returned. Consumerism and fecklessness have created a rioting ferment in the streets. Anarchy had an identity crisis and got organised, borrowing the tools of new media, which are evolving faster than thought. There is talk of a Double Dip.

But, let’s have a Cornetto instead. The sun is trying to shine, and the darkest hour is just before dawn. Warren Buffet counsels us to be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.

This is an epoch of uncertainty. In addition to economic slowdown and civil unrest, we’re faced by a confusing, volatile world based on interactive digital channels. We keep abreast of the information revolution, but our clients are not sure what messages to share globally, or how to prepare for two-way conversations and the instant, often unfair karma of the digital age.

Creating and adding Brand Value doesn’t require us to come to the party armed with a hipster’s guide to Blackberry Messenger. As commentators on the London riots so pointedly failed to realize, social media is not a threat, or a promise. It is a messaging device. Which is not to say that it doesn’t break the mould. It is wonderfully interactive, instant, and complex.

Audiences, rioters, consumers, and partners are all in the same exciting but confusing environment, with a world of choices at their fingertips. And this uncertainty creates a desire for recognition: people crave clarity, consistency, understanding, and authenticity. All these are aspects of Brand Strength.

To sit with Brand Analytics for a week is to take a crash course in how Interbrand builds and protects economic value. Their work involves reams of research, mind-boggling statistics, and unfathomable maths, but it invariably nails the fundamentals of a brand: what it stands for, how it works, and whether people trust it.

Brands need to be responsive as well, and stay relevant. But if they stand for strong values and great experiences they will be compelling to their customers and potential customers.

A recent article entitled "I’ll Be Your Mirror" by Interbrand New York’s Nora Geiss argues brilliantly that “reflecting the needs and desires of the audience does not mean falsely adopting their lingo and shrugging into their trendy dress code.” She describes a shift in consumer decision-making away from “I want” to “I am.” This is the single most important outcome of interactive social media. In the “I am” world consumer choices align them with a brand. By buying a brand, or mentioning it, consumers give it a personal endorsement, and they say something about themselves at the same time. London copywriters wear New York sneakers. Shanghai housewives crave Paris couture. It doesn’t matter if a brand is old fashioned as long as it is responsive enough to endorse and increase a sense of identity.

Our world can be very individualistic. But as spontaneous good deeds like #riotcleanup show us, people also cherish context and community. Social media is used to spread good vibes too – “Stay safe. Stay strong.” was one of thousands of anti-riot solidarity tweets. Like-minded souls coalesce around good ideas, charitable deeds, great art… and brands. A brand may attract and engage them, but its most important role is to stand for something. To be desirable, delightful – and dependable.

So what does this mean for our clients? How do they stay ahead of the game? Should they try and attach themselves to something cool? Are they missing out on the next big thing? Do they need to change? The answers are obvious: Stay calm. Stay true to yourself. Be coherent. Invest in your brand.

As consultants we spend a lot of time building, thinking, and evaluating the strength of brands. We have to realize that we are mirroring what the consumer is doing as part of their purchase decision-making. Living in a world polluted with advertising, we are saturated with spam, tweets, status updates, and general emails that have gone from being folly to sheer claustrophobia. It is becoming harder to gauge the authenticity and strength of brands we purchase. Whether the brands we purchase are lifelong commitments or new interests, we are in a world where we are spoilt for choice and discerning brand strength is becoming exceedingly difficult.

I find there are certain key elements I use when it comes to deciding which brands to choose and remain loyal to in my everyday life. I need my brands to be authentic, committed, relevant and consistent – indeed, just as these points are essential to me on a personal level, these are some of the components Interbrand also uses in its valuation of brand strength. It is gratifying to invest in a brand that is steadfast in its commitment to consumers. Measuring brand strength might seem like a broad topic, but is quite personal. From the lip balm we use to the shoes on our feet, the careful consumer measures the strength of the brands they purchase.


A favorite example (for women at least) would be cosmetics. There are thousands of cosmetic brands artfully showcased at urban high-end superstore Sephora. Upon entrance, it is like being bombarded with every makeup product on the market – which can be uncomfortable. To combat the overwhelming discomfort and discover brands of strength, I find myself scrutinizing the labels that I purchase. The authenticity of a brand is definitely tested with time.  Would I feel more comfortable purchasing a 100-year-old brand versus a 5-year-old label? With that I automatically tie in commitment and relevancy to its consumer, and it feels consistent and appropriate when I come to my conclusion on which choice represents brand strength. Perhaps that's the level-headed buyer in me speaking, but from shopping in Sephora to a supermarket, I always find that using those four keys provide an answer to my brand strength conundrums.  

The daily saturation of information has made the average consumer more fickle, perhaps more willing to take a risk on a new product that has the manpower to emblaze itself on every social media outlet and the like, but I say we take a step back and weed through the trash, evaluating the strength and worth of the brands that guide our daily lives.

On May 8, 2011, Coca-Cola, Interbrand’s number one Best Global Brand will turn 125. Its brand journey has been a long and ever-evolving one – from its beginnings with a secret ingredient that made it different, to becoming the ubiquitous brand known for being accessible everywhere, to its focus on authenticity in the face of new competition, to owning refreshment, and now its current ownership of “happiness” and full evolution into a lifestyle brand.

Unlike others in its category, Coca-Cola has moved beyond time and location to become a brand to be experienced all the time and anyplace. It has transcended its origins of "Made in the USA" to become a true world brand.

Additionally, while a brand like Guinness, for example, continues to be linked to patriotism, and Bacardi to an island occasion drink, Coca-Cola has succeeded in flexing its seasonality and relevance. It can be enjoyed in the winter (see its successful Christmas campaigns) and it can also be enjoyed in the summer (see its compelling summer campaigns, year after year). It can also enjoyed as much at the World Cup as at The American Music Awards.

At the same time, however, Coca-Cola never seems dull – and this, indeed, may be one of its greatest strengths. It is consistent all over the globe, and yet it is different everywhere, with labels tweaked just slightly depending on the market. As a result, it feels as though it is always moving and always living.

A large part of this is due to the richness of its visual vocabulary. The script, red color, the wave symbol, and even the ribs on its original bottle shape (which were originally inspired by the ribs on cocoa nuts) have all been with the brand for 125 years. And yet, Coca-Cola manages to constantly reinvent each, evolving them to fit the moment.

All in all, this is no easy feat – and it is something that all brands should aspire to. So, Coca-Cola, I salute you! Happy 125th and may you have many more to come.