Branding Experts Highlight the Value of Brands at a Business Event in Alicante

Brand value for the business fabric of Alicante province was the focus of Thursday's 'BrandPulse 2024: Status and Challenges of Branding in Spain' event. The initiative, organized by El Círculo–Directivos de Alicante, the Spanish Brands Forum (FMRE), and the Spanish Branding Association (AEBRAND), with the collaboration of Small Socio de AEBRAND and GfK – An NIQ Company, facilitated the sharing of current and future proposals by all actors involved in this activity.

The presentation of the BrandPulse 2024 study took place at the TerretUp space and featured Eva Toledo, president of El Círculo; Tamara Pirojkova, marketing director of FMRE; Paula Batlle, board member of AEBRAND; and Carlos Gómez, director of external relations and business development at GfK - An NIQ Company.

Notable interventions included those of Luis Chico de Guzmán, CEO of Hispanitas, and Teresa Zamora, marketing and communication director of ILUNION Hotels (Grupo Social ONCE), who shared their experience and vision on brand management in their respective companies.

For Eva Toledo, "the brand is a strategic asset and, as such, should occupy a priority place in business management. Therefore, collaborating with AEBRAND and the Spanish Brands Forum in initiatives like this aims to reinforce among the executives of our province the awareness of the brand's value and the importance of protecting, developing, and aligning it with the company's global strategy."

Toledo emphasizes that the province of Alicante "is a territory with brands of great national and international relevance in sectors such as footwear, toys, food, and tourism." However, she points out, it remains essential to remember that "a brand goes far beyond a logo: it reflects the company's purpose, culture, and values. It is necessary to build around it a coherent universe of elements, strategies, and actions that strengthen its position and contribute to business growth."

Regarding the position of the brand in Alicante's business fabric and its evolution, Roberto Ramos, CEO of Small and AEBRAND partner in Alicante, stated that "in the Alicante region, more and more companies are recognizing branding as a key pillar of their business strategies. In particular, B2B companies have moved from focusing solely on product quality and sales to recognizing that a strong brand is key to their growth and competitiveness." He also emphasized that Alicante, "with its business diversity and a productive fabric that encompasses both established companies and emerging startups, offers a unique environment where brand management gains even greater relevance as a driver of competitiveness."

Brand management is confirmed as a key strategic priority for building reputation, according to the results of BrandPulse 2024, VI Study on Branding Health in Spain, driven by the Spanish Branding Association (AEBRAND) and the Spanish Brands Forum (FMRE).

The research conducted by GfK-An NIQ Company, based on surveys of executives from 253 Spanish companies, reveals that brand management focuses on building a solid corporate reputation, a priority for 89% of executives. Secondly, positioning (76%) and awareness (74%) stand out, while thirdly, brand purpose and culture (67%) are highlighted.

Spanish companies recognize the strategic potential of a strong, well-valued, and positioned brand, and its importance for business development. Thus, the number of surveyed executives who assign a strategic role to the brand has increased, from 46% in 2022 to 54% in 2024. In this sense, the brand is not only a factor of identity but also a key driver for growth and competitiveness, say the promoters of the event.

Among the benefits of having a strong brand, executives highlight its ability to provide stability and certainty (91%), drive business growth (88%), and strengthen the sense of belonging (87%). Large companies prioritize talent retention and attraction, while SMEs value more the ability to face new challenges.

The priorities on the brand managers' agenda for 2025 include notable objectives: increasing brand awareness (79%), aligning business and brand strategy (63%), and building a strong brand culture (61%).

The challenge of maintaining brand relevance (67%), attracting and retaining talent in the company (62%), and managing technological disruption (46%) stand out as the main challenges brands will face. From a management perspective, integrating measurement systems offers an opportunity for brand managers. Among the most used KPIs are awareness (77%), reputation (70%), and positioning (67%).

Despite the recovery in branding investment, representing 24% of the brand budget, only below marketing with 28%, the consulted executives reveal that the lack of budget (22%) is the biggest obstacle to boosting the brand.

This study also reveals the existence of 7 categories of companies that arise from classifying companies according to their level of brand management, more strategic or tactical, indicating a higher or lower level of planning and control. These categories are: Executive Strategists, Strategic Guardian, Balanced, Tactical, Inactive Visionaries, Laggards, and Commercial Survivor.

The territory where branding consultancies could better focus their services is mainly among companies in the categories of Strategic Guardians, Balanced, and Tactical, and to a lesser extent, some companies from the Laggards group.