Banca Transilvania is once again among the strongest Romanian brands, according to the ranking compiled by Unlock Market Research for BIZ magazine. BT has moved up 5 places to 19th position compared with 2018.

The study measures the strength of Romanian brands from two perspectives: consumers’ trust investment and their emotional investment, without taking financial or commercial information into account. Brand performance is assessed using three indicators—brand importance, usage and awareness—using the MaxDiff (Maximum Differentiation Scaling) methodology.

It is based on an analysis of 1,000 online interviews with people aged 18 to 55 and is representative of the urban population. Respondents chose within sets of brands—from the most important to the least important for them. They also made multiple choices among unique combinations of brands, based on which a preference index was calculated for each brand; this was then analysed together with the importance index for each category.

The top ten strongest Romanian brands this year are: Gerovital, Borsec, Dorna, Arctic, Dero, Aqua Carpatica, Farmec, Dacia, eMAG and Elmiplant.

Omer Tetik, CEO, Banca Transilvania: 

• On the strengths of Romanian brands: “Local brands everywhere are part of a nation’s or communities’ history. So what greater advantage could a brand have than the combination of history and emotion? Some Romanian brands are part of Romanians’ childhoods or other stages and moments in life. Most have emerged over the past 30 years and are companies that have grown together with Romanians, with whom they identify. It might be the coffee shop next to the office, the restaurant where we go out with friends, or the online store where we do all kinds of shopping. I’m pleased to say that BT, as a key supporter of entrepreneurs, has contributed to the growth of many Romanian brands.”
• On the main challenges for Romanian brands: “They have to do with adapting to different markets, new customer segments and trends. There is also competition from foreign brands, which have always attracted Romanians. I would add a challenge that comes from within the brand, so to speak: attracting employees who can help continue to build those brands. For many brands, the big challenge is the marketing and advertising budget. Another has to do with sales, because only that way can a brand stand the test of time. Romania is still a small market, so expansion to other countries is necessary, which in turn requires investment to ensure the right presence.”

The study’s findings were presented at the BrandRo conference, organised in Bucharest at the end of September this year by BIZ magazine.