Dacia is the most valuable Romanian brand, despite a 5% decrease in brand value, according to a new report by Brand Finance. The car maker's brand has a value of EUR 1.1 billion.
In second place is electronics and goods marketplace eMAG, which recovered after two consecutive years of decline, with an 8% increase in brand value, reaching EUR 893 million. Banca Transilvania maintains third place, with a 34% increase, reaching EUR 856 million.
Romanian telecommunications company Digi and DIY chain store Dedeman round out the top 5 brands, with values of EUR 574 million and EUR 494 million.
Together, the top 5 brands account for more than half of the total value of the top 50 brands.
Banca Transilvania is the strongest Romanian brand, with an elite AAA+ rating. For the fourth consecutive year, the brand maintains its position among the ten strongest banking brands globally and is the strongest banking brand in Europe.
“Even though Dacia maintains the title of the most valuable Romanian brand, we cannot say that old, traditional brands dominate over those of the ‘new economy.’ New brands, which emerged in the last three decades, dominate the ranking both in number and in total brand value,” said Mihai Bogdan, Managing Director of Brand Finance Romania.
Sectoral differences are visible in the ranking. eMAG and Dedeman dominate retail, and the total value of the sector increased by 5%. Dedeman remains the most valuable brand fully owned by Romanian shareholders, with a slight 2% increase in brand value.
In the crowded pharmaceutical retail category, Catena and Farmacia Tei registered double-digit growth, while Help Net declined in brand value.
In contrast with the overall slowdown of the Romanian economy, with a GDP growth of only 0.9% in 2024, the collective value of the 50 most valuable Romanian brands increased by 4.8% compared to last year, reaching EUR 7.3 billion.
The list of most valuable brands has shown a low rate of change over the years, with few brands entering or leaving the top 50 each year. However, this year’s ranking was more dynamic, with four brands making it into the lower half of the list: Asirom in 38th place, Erbașu in 42nd, ZUZU in 48th, and Kober in 49th. Their entry means that Agricover, ALRO, DERO, and Mobexpert left the list.
New brands, meaning those created and developed by entrepreneurs and private companies in the last 35 years, represent over 72% (by number of brands) and 62% of the total brand value in the ranking of the 50 most valuable Romanian brands.
In addition to the analysis of individual brands, the Brand Finance Romania 50 report also ranks the ten most valuable brand portfolios, considering companies that operate multiple brands on the market. These portfolios include over 40 well-known local brands, the most valuable of which are also found in the main ranking of the 50 standalone brands.
The list of the top 10 portfolios has remained practically unchanged since 2017, with a single change this year: the Farmec cosmetics brand portfolio gave up 10th place to the MedLife medical services network.
(Photo source: Alpar Benedek, Lenutaidi, Chernetskaya | Dreamstime.com)
