Shell is the most valuable Dutch brand, valued at €46.5 billion
Shell (brand value up 8% to €46.5 billion) remains dominant in its position as the most valuable Dutch brand in 2023. Throughout the past year, Shell has taken a global leadership role in helping customers divest from Russia in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and helped provide some degree of energy security to Europe.
Every year, leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the biggest brands to the test, and publishes over 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. The world’s top 50 most valuable and strongest Dutch brands and global brands with Dutch origins are included in the annual Brand Finance Netherlands 50 2023 ranking.
Annie Brown, General Manager, Brand Finance commented:
"Throughout the past year, Shell has enjoyed the advantages of soaring hydrocarbon prices, driven by disruptions in gas supplies and a surge in oil demand as global economies began to return to normalcy in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, despite record profits off the back of this, Shell’s decline in brand equity has tempered the company's growth in brand value, casting a revealing light on the complex dynamics shaping Shell's overall performance."
Albert Heijn becomes the Netherlands’ fastest-growing and strongest brand
The Netherlands’ largest supermarket chain, Albert Heijn, is the fastest growing brand in the ranking, up 79% to a brand value of €1.7 billion. In the face of inflation and supply challenges in 2022, Albert Heijn's parent company, Ahold Delhaize, successfully implemented its 'Save for Our Customers' cost savings program. This initiative helped reduce the impact of rising food prices and enhance customer experience across its various brands, including Albert Heijn.
Albert Heijn has also formed a partnership with Jan Linders Supermarkets, planning to convert most its stores into Albert Heijn franchise locations. This collaboration enables Albert Heijn to extend its regional presence, particularly in the southern part of the Netherlands, broadening its dominance on the Dutch supermarket landscape and potentially further boost its strong growth trajectory moving forward.
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 38 countries and across 31 sectors.
Albert Heijn has also risen ten places in the Brand Strength Index (BSI) ranking, becoming the strongest Dutch brand with a BSI score of 89.40 out of 100 and AAA rating. This increase in Brand strength is a key driver of Albert Heijn’s brand value growth.
Just Eat Takeaway.com has the largest brand value drop – losing 47%
The multinational online food ordering and delivery company, Just Eat Takeaway.com, lost more brand value that any other Dutch brand in 2023, dropping 47% year-on-year to €2.1 billion. The brand encountered a challenging backdrop in 2022 as consumer habits changed following the end of Covid-19 restrictions. This resulted in significantly lower order processing compared to 2021.
Campina has highest Sustainability Perceptions Score, rated 5.55 out of 10
As part of its analysis, Brand Finance assesses the role that specific brand attributes play in driving overall brand value and how this varies by sector. One such attribute is sustainability. Brand Finance assesses how sustainable specific brands are perceived to be, represented by a ‘Sustainability Perceptions Score’. The value that is linked to sustainability perceptions, the ‘Sustainability Perceptions Value’, is then calculated for each brand.
Campina (brand value up 43% to €443 million), the Dutch dairy cooperative, has the highest Sustainability Perceptions Score of any brand included in the Netherlands 50 2023 ranking - 5.55 out of 10. This is also a stellar score when compared with other brands on the global stage. The brand's perceived commitment to sustainability is enhanced by its efforts to monitor and minimise its farmers' carbon footprint, preserve biodiversity, and uphold high standards of animal welfare. Campina has effectively communicated these initiatives to its stakeholders, resulting in a strong and positive perception of its sustainability practices.