WPP and Kantar Millward Brown to launch the first BrandZ™ ranking of the Top 20 Most Valuable Saudi Arabian brands

The first ever BrandZ™ Top 20 Most Valuable Saudi Arabian Brands ranking will be released on 28th March 2017 by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown in collaboration with King Abdullah Economic City.  

It is the only brand valuation ranking that combines the perceptions of Saudi consumers with financial data, making it the definitive cross-category study of the most accomplished brands in the most dominant Arabian market.

The launch of the ranking includes a detailed report that analyses the success of the top 20 brands and identifies the key forces driving brand growth in the Kingdom.   

The ranking for Saudi Arabia is the fifth in the BrandZ family of brand valuations which includes the Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, Top 50 Indian brands, Top 50 Latin American brands, the Top 50 Indonesian brands and the Top 100 Chinese brands.

The release of BrandZ™ Top 20 Most Valuable Saudi Arabian Brands ranking is supported by the Ministry of Commerce and Investment, Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College of Business & Entrepreneurship and King Abdullah Economic City. 

Piotr Chodakowski, Country Manager, Kantar Millward Brown, explained:  "Saudi Arabia is already the dominant economy in the Middle East and a G20 nation which is in the midst of social and economic change on a massive scale, making it an extremely attractive long-term market for global and local brands alike.  This is the first edition of an annual study that will track and anticipate the rapidly-evolving environment for these brands, and chart their changing value."

It is expected that there will be continuing growth in consumer demand in the Kingdom as the government continues to implement its Vision 2030 programme to diversify the economy and stimulate private sector activity to offset the dominance of the oil sector.

This provides opportunities for start-ups to grow into strong national brands, while also providing an opportunity for international companies to play a role in the Kingdom’s transformation.

Saudi Vision 2030 targets include increasing the private sector’s contribution to GDP from 40 percent to 65 percent, while boosting home ownership and increasing household spending on culture and entertainment represent opportunities for brands.  Significantly, the government has set a target of 80 percent of retailing comprising modern trade and e-commerce by 2030.

The BrandZ™ Top 20 Most Valuable Saudi Arabian Brands 2017 report will include knowledge and insight to help brands successfully navigate this environment, including:

• summary profiles of Saudi Arabia’s Top 20 most valuable brands
• action-oriented recommendations on brand building, based on our expert analysis of the market
• exploration of cross-country trends – including the desire to balance modernity with heritage and culture
• brand building learnings from the major emerging economies China, India and the LATAM regions
• essays on best practice from leading experts in branding and the Saudi Arabian market.

The global communications services leader, WPP companies have been engaged in Saudi Arabia for over 35 years. Today more than 400 people including associates work in 11 companies and 20 offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and other cities providing advertising, marketing, insight, media, digital, retail, shopper marketing, and PR expertise.