Brussels, 16 March 2023. For the 8th consecutive year, the Best Brands Awards recognise Belgium’s favourite brands in 21 different business sectors. This ranking was unveiled today at a gala event celebrating Belgians’ favourite brands, which has become a not-to-be-missed event for marketing and communication professionals.    

Launched in Munich in 2004 by the Serviceplan communication agency and GfK, partner in insights & recommendation, before expanding to other countries (China, France, Italy, Poland, etc.), the Best Brands Awards are today considered to be THE barometer of brand performance. Indeed, it is not the subjective opinion of a jury of professionals that dictates the choice of winners, but consumers themselves, based on two criteria: Share of Wallet, or economic success of a brand (market share, price premium or consumer first choice) and Share of Soul, or the attractiveness of the brand for consumers (brand awareness, image and experience, momentum, attachment, and the potential for cross-selling). 

In Belgium, the ranking by Best Brands is based on an online survey carried out by GfK among 4.500 consumers representative of the national population. For this 8th edition, some 350 brands from 21 business sectors were evaluated and we improved the methodology to have a more accurate reflexion of the consumer to the brands included in the study.

NORMALISATION OF CRISIS

Pandemic, war, inflation, recession - at the moment, one crisis follows hard on another.

The uncertainties we are currently facing in the world are affecting us all and influencing the way we feel, think and act.  -

The results of the Best Brands 2023 study in Belgium show that Belgians remain attached to brands that have been sure values for many years as well as to brands with a strong Belgian anchorage.in these current times.

A GENERAL RANKING WITH SOME SURPRISES  

The names of all the winners were revealed during the Best Brands Awards gala event, which took place at Docks Dome on 16 March, in the presence of guests from the world of business, advertising and media, and which was broadcast live on social media:    

 Alpro - Best Dairy Brand (NEW winner) 

 Argenta - Best Financial Services & Insurances Brand (NEW winner) 

 Bol.com - Best Retail Hi-Fi Electro Brand  

 Bosch Power Tools - Best Do-It-Yourself Brand (NEW winner) 

 Coca-Cola - Best Non-Alcoholic Soft & Fruit Drinks Brand

 Colruyt - Best Retail Food/Near Food Brand  

 Côte d'Or - Best Confectionary, Biscuits & Snacks Brand (NEW winner) 

 Eggo - Best Kitchen Retail Brand (NEW winner) 

 Engie - Best Fuel & Energy Brand  

 Gardena - Best Gardening Brand  

 Hewlett-Packard (HP) - Best IT Brand  

 Martini - Best Liquors & Spirits Brand 

 Miele - Best Major Domestic Appliances Brand 

 Nivea - Best Personal Care, Body and Health Brand

 Philips - Best Small Domestic Appliances Brand  

 Royal Canin - Best Pet Care Brand 

 Samsung - Best Consumer Electronics, Best Telecom Brand, and Best Product Brand of all categories

 Spa - Best Waters Brand (NEW winner) 

 Tom & Co - Best Pet & Hobby Retail Brand (NEW winner) 

 Volkswagen - Best Automotive Brand (NEW winner)   

A certain number of brands confirm their leadership from one year to the next: this is the case, for example, for Samsung, Bol.com, Colruyt, Engie, Gardena, Martini, Miele, Philips and Royal Canin. Samsung picked up the “Best Product Scores,” all sectors combined, together with Nivea and newcomer Côte d’Or. Surprisingly, Coca-Cola sank to 5th place in the overall ranking, regardless of once again raising their “Share of Soul” this year.  

SOME REVERSALS OF POSITION  

Volkswagen dethroned BMW from first place in the automotive category. Volkswagen outperforms its competitors by a combination of having the largest Share of Wallet and a shared second place for Share of Soul with BMW. Audi takes third place, rounding off the top 3.  

RISE OF CERTAIN CHALLENGERS

Among the brands that made the greatest progress between 2021 and 2022, we can also highlight:

- Argenta, which made an impressive leap from fifth place to first place in the merged categories of Insurance and Financial Services this year, notably thanks to the highest scores on its cross-selling potential and attachment to the brand;

- Tom&Co, which climbs from second to first place in the Pet & Hobby sector. The highestShare of Soul is for Zooplus, but Tom&Co has the highest Share of Wallet. Aveve switches from first to third place, by having the third-best performance on both metrics. 

UNCERTAINTY REQUIRES TRANSFORMATION

The results of the 2023 Best Brands Awards confirm it: brands that remain agile and flexible in uncertain, transformative times will be better able to keep their heads above water and even book successes. Precisely in current times, consumers are looking for transparency and relatability in their favourite brands. Frequent and engaging communication with consumers will positively impact brands’ Share of Soul. Of course, the Best Brands study offers a unique opportunity to gain an even better understanding of the current and future expectations of these increasingly demanding consumers.  

Would you like to find out more? Send a message to or visit the website www.bestbrands.be.