Two Spanish brands belonging to the Leading Brands of Spain Forum, Zara and Santander, figure in the ranks of the 100 most valuable brands according to a report published by the consulting firm Interbrand. Thus, this year the Best Global Brands 2010, a ranking system published by Interbrand each year, includes 2 Spanish firms for the first time in the top 100 global brands. The entry of Santander in the list, at Number 68, is one of the strongest, above Barclays and Credit Suisse, considering furthermore the overall drop experienced by companies in the financial services sector on this list. With a value of 4,846 million dollars, Santander becomes the second Spanish brand to enter these ranks.
For its part, Zara has maintained its presence ever since it entered back in 2005. In this edition, the brand Inditex has improved its position, now occupying position 48 in the top 50 this year, increasing its value by 10% with respect to the previous year, and becoming one of the 5 brands that have grown most over these six years.
The international brands that have seen their value rise most include Google, Apple and Blackberry. The last two have become stronger at the expense of Nokia. The classification is still led by Coca Cola, followed by two other American brands: IBM and Microsoft. The luxury goods sector also stands out with names such as Cartier, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Hermes.
With respect to Banco Santander, Interbrand singles out the "small impact" the financial crisis has had on the Spanish institution, due to its conservative banking style, and justifies its entry in the classification on the increase of its international presence. In this regard, they draw attention to the fact that since 2008, the Bank, which they describe as being “stable and well administered”, has concentrated on strengthening its presence through acquisitions like the Alliance & Leicester in the UK, Sovereign in North America and SEB in Germany.
On the other hand, it also points out that, despite the fact that such purchases place Santander in an “enviable position”, its “ambitious and rapid expansion” has its own risks, such as, for instance, the inconsistencies between its visual and verbal identity and its experience. Nevertheless, it recognises that the bank is moving quickly and seamlessly to rename its recently acquired brands in the UK, "which demonstrates that it is aware of the problem."
Finally, it points out that, as the major financial franchise in Latin America, it still maintains a leading position in key markets of rapid growth such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Argentina, which is "a good omen as far as its future is concerned".
With respect to Zara, Interbrand stresses that it continues to grow at an international level, despite the fact that it already has a network of 1,395 stores in 77 countries, and refers to opening shops in high-end locations such as Delhi or Tokyo, along with the expansion of its Zara Home line to other markets. Likewise, they also point out that it continues to distinguish itself from other fast fashion brands such as H&M by offering the highest ideal price and the closest direct replicas to the fashion found on the catwalk. It also stresses the fact that the company builds its value on the basis of relevance and responsibility. Specifically, it points out that every day products arrive in its shops and the line is renewed every month, along with the flow of information that exists between the designers and the stores.
Interbrand also points out that, although Zara has never advertised through traditional channels, it had three million fans on Facebook in the middle of 2010 and a presence on several social media platforms.
