The strongest brands in the Netherlands

1. BRAND
BATTLE
2011
The strongest brands in the Netherlands

2. OVER
800,000
51
COUNTRIES
CONSUMERS
CONTENTS
NETHERLANDS:
265
STUDIES
1. METHODOLOGY
± 1,000 BRANDS,
2. TOP 100 STRONGEST BRANDS IN THE NETHERLANDS
1,500 RESPONDENTS
3. TOP 25 MOST DIFFERENTIATED BRANDS IN THE NETHERLANDS
4. CATEGORIES
CONTINUOUS 1993, 1997, 2000, MEDIA
VALIDATION 2003, 2005, 2007,
• Top 10
2008, 2009, 2010,
• Brand Battle: RTL 4 vs. SBS 6
2011
• Consumer Profile: Facebook vs. Hyves
RETAIL
• Top 10
BRANDSCAPE • Brand Battle: De Bijenkorf vs. V&D
• Consumer Profile: Albert Heijn vs. Lidl
CONSISTENT THEORY FMCG
METHODOLOGY • Top 10
• Brand Battle: Nespresso vs. Senseo
• Consumer Profile: Axe vs. Rexona
18 TECHTRONICS
45,000+
• Top 10
YEARS • Brand Battle: Canon vs. Nikon
• Consumer Profile: iPhone vs. Nokia
BRANDS FINANCIALS
• Top 10
• Brand Battle: ABN AMRO vs. Rabobank
72 DIFFERENT BRAND
VARIABLES
• Consumer Profile: ASN Bank vs. Van Lanschot

3. INTRODUCTION
‘The question is
whether iPhone
will manage to
hold on to its
strong position
this year.’
BRAND BATTLE SYMBOLISES THE STRUGGLE WAGED BY
ALL BRANDS FOR THE BEST POSITION IN THE MIND OF Scan the QR code with your mobile
THE CONSUMER. THIS POSITION IS EXPRESSED IN A phone or go to: m.brandbattle.nl
UNIQUE BRANDASSET SCORE, WHICH IS THE SUM OF THE
FOUR MAIN PILLARS OF A BRAND: DIFFERENTIATION,
RELEVANCE, ESTEEM AND KNOWLEDGE. THE HIGHER THE
SCORE, THE STRONGER THE BRAND.
This publication on the strongest then Google has been able to call itself iPhone as notable examples. Now that In this publication we deal with these
brands in the Netherlands is based on the strongest brand in the Netherlands. the Dutch consumer is more often and many other developments within
the world’s largest brand research tool: Nevertheless, major changes have been choosing telephones with an Android the Dutch brand landscape. If after
BrandAsset™ Valuator. We have been visible just below the top positions in operating system, the question is reading it you are interested to know
tracing the Dutch brand landscape in a recent years, such as the growth of whether iPhone will manage to hold whether your brand is beating your
consistent way using BAV since 1993. e-commerce brands. Marktplaats.nl on to its strong position this year. competitors, take on the fight at
Every year we investigate around 1,000 (the ‘Dutch eBay’) forced its way into brandbattle.nl and see how strong
brands on more than 70 variables. That the Top 10 in 2009, for example, and Fuelled by falling confidence in the your brand really is.
leads, among other results, to a rank- Bol.com can also now count itself economy, we saw a clear trend in the
ing of the strongest brands in the among the 10 strongest brands. research towards ‘conscious living’ last
Netherlands. year, but whether this trend has truly
The constant growth of the digital had a lasting influence on consumers’
In recent years Google has dominated world could be clearly seen in recent brand choices remains to be seen.
the rankings, after having knocked IKEA years in the breakthrough of the smart-
from the throne in 2007. Ever since phone brands, with BlackBerry and

4. 1 METHODOLOGY
THE STRENGTH OF THE BRANDS ON THE BASIS OF THE 4 pillars of brand strength
RESULTS FROM BRANDASSET™ VALUATOR IS EXPRESSED
IN A UNIQUE BRANDASSET SCORE. THIS IS THE SUM OF Rituals Google Motorola
THE SCORES ON THE FOUR MAIN PILLARS OF A BRAND:
DIFFERENTIATION, RELEVANCE, ESTEEM AND KNOW­
LEDGE. EACH PILLAR IS IMPORTANT IN ITS OWN RIGHT,
BUT ONLY POWER BRANDS SUCCEED IN CLAIMING THE
HIGH GROUND ON ALL OF THEM. SO THE HIGHER THE
BRANDASSET SCORE, THE STRONGER THE BRAND.
DIFFERENTIATION RELEVANCE ESTEEM KNOWLEDGE
to its promises, and so it has a strong ferentiation and growing relevance,
Building a strong brand is like building experiences (‘it’s really different…’) relationship with the brand’s perform- but still low knowledge. An example of
a relationship. It begins when you see then you have a problem as a brand, ance. Esteem is the third element of a a strongly upcoming brand is Rituals.
each other for the first time. There is because it is then still unclear how it strong brand.
something that strikes you. Something fits into consumers’ lives, and the brand Brands that occupy an extremely strong
special and distinctive. Think of Apple, evidently does not solve any problems Finally, if a brand fits in with consumers’ position with the average Dutch con-
for example. Differentiation is the key for them. That is why relevance is the daily lives they get to know the brand sumer have succeeded in building up
to success, because a brand that is second essential element of brand better and better, and a certain know- high differentiation, relevance, esteem
not unique has less raison d’être. So dif- strength that we measure. ledge with the brand develops. BAV and knowledge. Google and IKEA are
ferentiation is also the first element of measures that with the fourth element: examples of true Power Brands.
brand strength that we measure with Some (but by no means all) brands that knowledge. The brand has become an
BAV. have existed for a long time and are icon of the total brand landscape. There are also brands that were once
well established have built up their strong but have lost their uniqueness
Of course a high level of differentiation esteem among the general public. So a brand is built on four pillars. In this over the years. All that a weakened
is good news for a new brand. But if Esteem is related to the feeling that a model new, up-and-coming brands brand like Motorola has left is its
that is the only thing the consumer brand offers good quality and lives up display the following profile: high dif- knowledge.

5. Differentiation and relevance show us picture of how brands gain and lose
the direction that a brand is developing power. Brands have the tendency to
in. That is why we combine these two develop in a clockwise direction on the
elements into the leading indicator of PowerGrid.
a brand’s growth potential: its vitality.
The power of a brand according to the
Esteem and knowledge give a feeling BAV shows a clear link with an organisa-
of a brand’s current position, and tion’s financial performance. Research
in which direction this position is by Stern Stewart & Co. has shown that
develop ng. That is why we combine
i
these two elements into the indicator
a Power Brand is worth up to 2.3 times
its current turnover. It also turns out
‘Research has
of a brand’s stature. that a high level of brand vitality has shown that a
If we plot brand vitality against brand
more effect on turnover than the
brand stature: 1.7 times vs. 0.6 times
Power Brand is
stature (PowerGrid™) we get a clear the turnover. worth up to
2.3 times its
current turnover.’
The PowerGrid Financial performance
POWER BRAND
PROMISING / NICHE
2.3x
DIFFERENTIATION & RELEVANCE
DIFFERENTIATION & RELEVANCE
D R E K
1.7x
D R E K
1.3x
VITALITY
VITALITY
D R E K
FALLING
D R E K
NEW
D R E K
0.9x 0.6x
WEAKENED
D R E K
LACKING FOCUS
BRAND STATURE BRAND STATURE
ESTEEM & KNOWLEDGE ESTEEM & KNOWLEDGE

6. 2 TOP 100
STRONGEST BRANDS IN THE NETHERLANDS
TOP BRAND BRANDASSET VAR TOP BRAND BRANDASSET VAR TOP BRAND BRANDASSET VAR TOP BRAND BRANDASSET VAR
100 SCORE 2010 100 SCORE 2010 100 SCORE 2010 100 SCORE 2010
% RANK % RANK % RANK % RANK
1 Google 100 0.0 26 Dutch Consumers’ Association 97.3 +6.4 51 The Olympics 94.6 -0.3 76 Unicef 91.8 -3.5
2 IKEA 99.9 0.0 27 Tefal 97.2 +2.0 52 Kika 94.5 +6.3 77 RTL 4 91.7 +10.9
3 Coca-Cola 99.8 +0.5 28 Schiphol 97.1 +0.4 53 Pringles 94.3 +4.9 78 Disneyland Paris 91.6 -4.7
4 Douwe Egberts 99.7 +0.7 29 ANWB 97.0 -0.9 54 Mona 94.2 +3.2 79 Dutch Heart Foundation 91.5 +3.0
5 Efteling 99.6 -0.1 30 Unox 96.8 -0.8 55 Duyvis 94.1 +0.7 80 Lay’s 91.4 +4.3
6 Albert Heijn 99.5 +0.3 31 Dutch Cancer Society 96.7 +2.3 56 Côte d’Or 94.0 +1.4 81 Hak 91.3 +1.7
7 Marktplaats.nl 99.3 -0.1 32 Xenos 96.6 +4.8 57 Oral-B 93.9 -1.8 82 Spa 91.2 -2.7
8 Philips 99.2 +0.9 33 Maggi 96.5 +8.2 58 Pink Ribbon 93.8 +2.1 83 Aldi 91.1 +0.8
9 Bol.com 99.1 -0.2 34 Apple 96.4 +6.2 59 V&D 93.7 +6.9 84 Mars 91.0 -3.0
10 Microsoft 99.0 -0.8 35 Magnum 96.3 -2.3 60 Chocomel 93.6 -2.1 85 Bose 90.9 +13.4
11 LEGO 98.9 +0.8 36 Rabobank 96.2 +4.7 61 Nokia 93.5 -1.9 86 Campina 90.8 -0.4
12 HEMA 98.8 +0.3 37 Cup-a-Soup 96.1 +0.2 62 Bolletje 93.4 -1.4 87 Bang & Olufsen 90.7 +25.0
13 YouTube 98.7 +2.0 38 CliniClowns 96.0 -2.0 63 M & M’s 93.3 -0.1 88 VARA 90.5 +18.5
14 Calvé 98.6 +0.5 39 TomTom 95.9 -0.1 64 Postbus 51 93.2 +13.4 89 Venz 90.4 +5.7
15 Discovery Channel 98.5 -0.4 40 Verkade 95.8 +3.1 65 Sony 93.0 -3.8 90 Autodrop 90.3 +3.0
16 Amsterdam 98.4 +1.0 41 Dreft 95.7 -0.8 66 Smiths 92.9 +2.3 91 Wii 90.2 -5.9
17 National Geographic 98.3 +0.8 42 Wegenwacht 95.5 +0.9 67 Zwitsal 92.8 -3.4 92 AH Excellent 90.1 +1.9
18 Pickwick 98.2 -0.5 43 Heinz 95.4 +1.6 68 KLM 92.7 +3.9 93 Roosvicee 90.0 +13.3
19 Senseo 98.0 -0.8 44 Disney 95.3 -2.0 69 Conimex 92.6 -3.9 94 Greenpeace 89.9 +4.1
20 NOS 97.9 -1.6 45 Nederland 1 95.2 -1.8 70 Kruidvat 92.5 +0.2 95 McDonald’s 89.8 +2.9
21 Miele 97.8 -0.4 46 Lidl 95.1 +5.2 71 Appelsientje 92.4 +3.4 96 The Hague 89.7 +10.3
22 Wikipedia 97.7 +0.8 47 Gazelle 95.0 +4.5 72 Honig 92.3 +0.1 97 United Nations 89.6 +13.0
23 Red Cross 97.6 -0.1 48 De Ruijter 94.9 +2.4 73 Merci 92.2 +2.1 98 Peijnenburg 89.5 +10.4
24 WWF 97.5 +2.0 49 Becel 94.8 +2.4 74 Max Havelaar 92.1 +2.5 99 Nivea 89.3 4.2
50 Bijenkorf 94.7 +5.3 75 Windows Live Messenger 92.0 _ 100 iPhone 89.2 +13.7
25 Duracell 97.4 +0.2

7. ‘The Top 100 shows
TOP 100 the rise of the socially
critical citizen and the
STRONGEST BRANDS IN THE NETHERLANDS Another striking feature of the Top 100
conscious consumer.’
is that many brands of Dutch origin are
extremely strong, and are even growing.
Douwe Egberts, Efteling, Albert Heijn,
Marktplaats.nl, Philips, HEMA, Calvé
and Pickwick are all brands that are consumers can mainly be seen in the
anchored in Dutch culture. They have steep rise of the brands Postbus 51,
become an element of daily life. These The Hague and the United Nations.
THIS YEAR, JUST AS LAST YEAR, GOOGLE IS THE successes of Dutch brands are linked More than last year, people indicate
STRONGEST BRAND IN THE NETHERLANDS AND with the higher esteem of authentic that they think our political system has
IKEA IS THE RUNNER UP. BOTH BRANDS STILL brands. More than last year, consumers improved, and they are more interest-
SUCCEED IN COMBINING THEIR BRAND STATURE prefer established brands that offer ed in politics. Finally, the rise of the
WITH HIGH DIFFERENTIATION AND RELEVANCE. trusted quality. We therefore see other Dutch Consumers’ Association brand
typical authentic brands in the Top 100, clearly reflects the importance of the
such as Gazelle, De Ruijter, Becel, ‘conscious consumer’: people want to
Appelsientje, Venz and Peijnenburg. make the right, well-considered deci-
Google is the ultimate guide through the online world and its associated demand The BrandAsset Scores of all these sions. Comparison websites like
for information. It has achieved ‘prototype status’: the brand is a symbol for its own brands have gone up, and in almost all Kieskeurig.nl and Independer.nl also
category. Its mission: ‘we make the world’s information universally accessible and cases their brand preference rating has benefit from this.
useful’ is maintained with new brand innovations. Google has recently made big also risen. And for many years it has
advances with its Chrome browser, its Android mobile operating system continues been impossible to imagine Dutch The fact that the average Dutch con-
to grow in popularity, and with Google+ it has entered the fray with Facebook and culture without Maggi, which is sumer is increasingly critical and makes
the ‘Dutch Facebook’ Hyves. Nevertheless, the first slight signs of a decline can be wrongly perceived as typically Dutch. more conscious choices does not
seen in Google’s brand differentiation. The Google corporate brand is threatened detract from the fact that Dutch peo-
with losing its sharp definition with its many, ever broader brand innovations. The Top 100 also shows the rise of the ple still have a great deal of interest in
Dutch consumers therefore see the brand as less unique than they have in recent ‘socially critical citizen’ and the ‘con- innovation and technology. We see
years. This could easily mean that the top position will be filled by a different brand scious consumer’. Firstly, charities are brands like Apple, iPhone, Bose and
next year. still well represented in the Top 100, Bang & Olufsen rising steeply because
and a number of them, such as WWF, they are becoming ever more relevant
For example by the current number 2: IKEA. The Swedish furniture giant does not the Dutch Cancer Society, Kika, Pink and familiar to a mass audience. The
have the everyday relevance of Google, but like Google it has claimed its own Ribbon, the Dutch Heart Foundation consumer is evidently making more of a
category, in IKEA’s case on the basis of distinctive design and self-assembly. In this and Greenpeace, continue to grow still conscious choice for a particular value,
way IKEA differentiates itself in terms of both design and price. further. But the social engagement of rather than simply the lowest price.

8. 3 TOP 25 MOST
DIFFERENTIATED
BRANDS
DIFFERENTIATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR WITHIN In 2011 the Efteling theme park is the most differ- Harley-Davidson is another hugely unique brand,
MARKETING. IN MARKETS WHERE THE IMPORTANCE OF entiated brand in Holland for the first time. The and it has even become a lifestyle to some
DIFFERENTIATION IS FORGOTTEN, A CLUTTER OF BRANDS brand is based on a unique fantasy world that is people: the ultimate form of involvement.
ARISES, ALL OF THEM OFFERING THE SAME THINGS, MAKING friendly and accessible, but also constantly sur-
THE SAME APPEALS AND DOING THE SAME THINGS. THESE prising. It has been viewed as ‘innovative’ and ‘up
MARKETS ARE USUALLY CHARACTERISED BY WEAK BRANDS, to date’ for years. In addition, the Efteling benefits
AND THE MARGINS ARE OFTEN LOW. IN THE POWERGRID™ from its enormously strong brand experience,
THESE BRANDS CAN BE FOUND IN THE SO­CALLED ‘CLONE which makes the brand relevant and especially
ZONE’. valued.
Differentiation leads directly to im-
proved financial performance. Research
PowerGrid with Clone Zone ‘Differentiation by Brand sset™ Consult in partnership
A
is the most with Nyenrode Business University and
important Erasmus University Rotterdam has shown
factor within
DIFFERENTIATION & RELEVANCE
that differentiation determines up to
40% of the return on investment.
marketing.’
VITALITY
D R E K
BRAND STATURE
ESTEEM & KNOWLEDGE

9. TOP 25 MOST
DIFFERENTIATED BRANDS
TOP BRAND DIFFERENTIATION
25 SCORE
Apple can also be found at the top of the rankings. And the Apple brand % RANK
has also become a way of life for some people. The Dutch consumer sees
1 Efteling 100
the brand as something special: one of a kind. The fact that Apple is 2 Bang & Olufsen 99.9
doing well is shown by the high positions of its subsidiaries: iPhone and 3 Harley-Davidson 99.8
iPad are also among the most differentiated brands in the Netherlands. 4 Apple 99.7
5 IKEA 99.6
The Top 25 can be roughly divided into two groups. One group of brands 6 Porsche 99.5
7 Coca-Cola 99.3
owes its raison d’être to differentiation and the creation of a unique niche.
8 Ferrari 99.2
So we can identify luxury brands like Bang & Olufsen, Ferrari and Rolex
9 Wikipedia 99.1
that quite simply do not want to be relevant to the average Dutch con- 10 Rolex 99.0
sumer. A second group of brands links a high degree of differentiation 11 Bose 98.9
with great relevance: IKEA, LEGO and Discovery Channel have carved 12 Amsterdam 98.8
out their own categories for themselves, and are both unique and enor- 13 LEGO 98.7
mously relevant within them. 14 Discovery Channel 98.6
15 Cartier 98.5
16 iPhone 98.4
17 iPad 98.3
18 Disneyland Paris 98.2
Discovery Channel 2011 19 National Geographic 98.0
20 Rolls Royce 97.9
21 Audi 97.8
22 Jaguar 97.7
23 Rivella 97.6
24 CliniClowns 97.5
25 Ben & Jerry`s 97.4
DIFFERENTIATION RELEVANCE ESTEEM KNOWLEDGE

10. 4 CATEGORIES
ONLY ONE BRAND CAN BE THE UNDISPUTED WINNER, BUT THE TOP BRANDS IN THE BRAND LANDSCAPE ARE VERY CLOSE TOGETHER, AND
THERE ARE SEVERAL BRANDS THAT HAVE GAINED AN EXTREMELY STRONG POSITION. TO DO GREATER JUSTICE TO THE STRENGTH OF THESE
BRANDS WE ZOOM IN ON FIVE CATEGORIES: MEDIA, RETAIL, FMCG, TECHTRONICS AND FINANCIALS. WHAT ARE THE STRONGEST BRANDS
WITHIN THESE CATEGORIES? WHAT ARE THE STRIKING TRENDS?
The categories are also the playing field of some fascinating
Brand Battles, for example RTL 4 vs. SBS 6 and Nespresso vs.
Senseo. On the following pages we reveal the winners of
these battles, and explain the reasons for their success.
But the research goes even deeper, because for each type of
brand there is also a type of consumer. What are the differ-
ences between the consumers of two competitors? What
other products and brands do they buy? BAV investigates
the consumer’s motivations, demands, lifestyle and brand
preferences, and so makes it possible to draw up a detailed
Consumer Profile.

11. MEDIA
TOP 10 BRAND BRANDASSET SCORE
% RANK
1 Google 100
2 YouTube 98.7
3 Discovery Channel 98.5
4 National Geographic 98.3
5 NOS 97.9
6 Wikipedia 97.7
7 Nederland 1 95.2
8 RTL 4 91.7
9 VARA 90.5
10 BBC 89.1
TOP 10 STRONGEST MEDIA BRANDS
The media brands category clearly Although the average Dutch consumer
shows the crucial importance of the has a growing demand for knowledge
online environment: the internet is the and information, the paper information
place to find out everything you want media continue to decline. The first
to know about the world around you, newspaper we see in the list is De Tele-
including what your friends are up to. graaf (with a BrandAsset Score of 70.4%),
And the continued growth of online but for this major newspaper too a
advertising shows that advertisers are decline can be seen in relation to last
also increasingly embracing the power year. In the dynamic media landscape,
of the medium. Google and YouTube these newspapers are not ‘up to date’
head up the list of strongest media enough in the opinion of the Dutch
brands, but the well-known social me- consumer. A multimedia approach
dia are also taking a more and more seems to be the only way forward for
important place among the strongest the established media brands.
brands. Although the ‘Dutch Facebook’
Hyves has declined in brand strength in
comparison with last year, it still remains
well ahead of Facebook itself. The ques- Hyves
tion is how long this will last, because 2010 2011
Facebook’s visitor numbers have now
overtaken those of Hyves.
DIFFERENTIATION RELEVANCE ESTEEM KNOWLEDGE

12. BRAND BATTLE
RTL 4 VS. SBS 6
Whereas in 2010 SBS 6 was stronger 2011 is the first year in which RTL 4 is
than RTL 4, the roles are now reversed. more differentiated than SBS 6. Look-
With a BrandAsset Score of 92.1%, RTL 4 ing back at last year, the comparison of
beats SBS 6, which has a score of 85.0%. RTL 4’s The Voice of Holland with SBS 6’s
RTL 4 has experienced a striking rise in Popstars says it all: in October 2010
brand strength (+10.5) and that is an RTL 4 achieved the highest market
especially remarkable achievement in share – at 21.5% – of the last ten years
view of the fact that most TV channels within the 20-49 age group (Zenith
have shown a falling trend for years. Optimedia). Alongside The Voice of Hol-
So it is also noteworthy that RTL 4 has land, programmes such as Ik Hou Van
taken its biggest leap in differentiation: Holland have also played a part in this.
Differentiation RTL 4 vs. SBS 6
2010 2011
RTL 4 SBS 6
DIFFERENTIATION

13. CONSUMER PROFILE
HYVES FACEBOOK
THE HYVES USER: THE FACEBOOK USER:
finds emotion more important than logic enjoys an intellectual discussion
is ‘average’ doesn’t want to be ‘average’
is reserved is career oriented and innovative
MAGAZINES
Margriet Elsevier
COFFEE TABLE Privé HP/De Tijd OPINION
MAGAZINES Libelle Intermediair
SHOES
Schoenenreus Man eld
SLIPPERS Van Haren Van Dalen SMART SHOES
Scapino
HOMEWARE STORE
Action IKEA
HOUSEHOLD GOODS Marskramer DIY DESIGN
Leen Bakker
DAIRY PRODUCTS
Mona Breaker
DESSERTS Friesche Vlag Yakult DAIRY SHOTS
Almhof Actimel
NB: results are based on a comparison of both groups in relation to each other and sorted by the greatest differences in preference.

14. RETAIL
TOP 10 BRAND BRANDASSET SCORE
% RANK
1 IKEA 99.9
2 Albert Heijn 99.5
3 Marktplaats.nl 99.3
4 Bol.com 99.1
5 HEMA 98.8
6 Xenos 96.6
7 Lidl 95.1
8 Bijenkorf 94.7
9 V&D 93.7
10 Kruidvat 92.5
TOP 10 STRONGEST RETAIL BRANDS
In the light of the digital revolution it services such as iDeal and PayPal are
should come as no surprise that Markt- making a major contribution to this
plaats.nl and Bol.com are such strong trend: consumers make their payments
retailers. Because to stay ahead of the within the familiar environment of their
competition as a retailer it is also essen- own banks.
tial to keep pace with the development
of e-commerce. Many players in the
Top 10 of strongest retail brands are Online Consumer Purchases
€ 8.2
doing this already. At ah.nl you can do Turnover in billions of euros € 7.4
€ 6.3
your shopping from the comfort of € 5.0
your own home, and at hema.nl, bi- € 3.6
€ 2.8
jenkorf.nl and vd.nl you can buy every-
thing that is available in the physical
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
store. Albert Heijn, De Bijenkorf and
Source: Home Shopping Market Monitor 2010
HEMA are also seen as more ‘progres-
sive’ than they were last year.
Whereas in recent years making pay- A sharply focused multichannel strategy
ments online was seen by many con- will be even more important in the
sumers as a considerable hurdle to be coming years. After all, consumer beha-
overcome, this barrier is slowly being vi ur is increasingly multichannel: an
o
broken down. The number of online inviting challenge for all retailers. But a
shoppers is fast approaching € 10 mil- bigger and even more crucial challenge
lion, and online purchases will soon is to keep the essence of the brand
amount to over € 8 billion. Payment clear and consistent in all channels.

15. BRAND BATTLE
DE BIJENKORF
VS. V&D
De Bijenkorf beats V&D by a whisker. De Bijenkorf has a Brand-
Asset Score of 94.7%, while V&D scores 93.7%. In previous
years the difference between the two department store brands
was greater, but V&D has experienced a bigger rise over the
past year (+6.9 as against +5.3 for De Bijenkorf) so the dis-
tance between the brands has decreased. The consumer
thinks that V&D is ‘rising in popularity’ more than De Bijenkorf,
and that holds out a lot of promise for the coming years.
However, De Bijenkorf is still much more differentiated than
V&D. It has the image of a luxury fashion brand rather than a
mere retailer. But V&D has also made great advances in this
regard this year. The brand has acquired a more trendy image,
and it is perceived as a store offering variety. What is more,
V&D has always been stronger than De Bijenkorf in terms of
relevance, esteem and knowledge, although De Bijenkorf has
also taken steps in the right direction on these pillars. In short:
it will be an exciting battle for the top spot next year.

16. CONSUMER PROFILE
ALBERT HEIJN LIDL
THE ALBERT HEIJN SHOPPER: THE LIDL SHOPPER:
prefers A-brands is a price-conscious shopper
is exuberant is reserved
likes new things/ideas is more sceptical about new things
RADIO
‘THE NEWS BNR Nieuwsradio Sky Radio
Radio 1 Radio 5 Nostalgia ‘HAVE A NICE DAY’
FROM ALL SIDES’ Radio 6 Soul & Jazz Radio 538
FASHION
McGregor Zeeman LOOKING GOOD
THE LATEST FASHION Jack & Jones C&A DOESN’T HAVE
The Sting Miss Etam
TO COST A LOT
DRINKS
Appelsientje Taksi FRUIT DRINK
PURE FRUIT Cool Best Roosvicee
CONCENTRATE
Innocent Karvan Cevitam
PERSONAL CARE
ICI PARIS XL Trekpleister DAILY
PERFUME Parfumerie Douglas Schlecker
The Body Shop Kruidvat GROOMING
NB: results are based on a comparison of both groups in relation to each other and sorted by the greatest differences in preference.

17. FMCG
TOP 10 STRONGEST FMCG BRANDS
The Fast Moving Consumer Goods category reflects the trend of Dutch origins and
authenticity. The Top 10 is characterised by brands that have been a feature of
Dutch culture for many years, and will probably remain that way. They are true
household brands that can be found in any kitchen cabinet: level-headed brand
leaders with a high knowledge level. Duracell and Unox are good examples.
So the presence of the relatively
young brands Senseo, Magnum and
Duracell & Unox
Cup-a-Soup in this list is also striking.
Duracell Unox
The presence of these three brands
cannot be explained by the fact that
they have already existed for a hundred
years, and so automatically form a
part of the consumer’s consideration
DIFFERENTIATION RELEVANCE ESTEEM KNOWLEDGE
set. Senseo, Magnum and Cup-a-Soup
have all claimed their places by giving
their products a highly individual and unique image. Magnum has presented
the ice cream in a totally different way, for example. It stands for seduction and
sensuality rather than quenching thirst or fun for kids. Cup-a-Soup has even
claimed its own time with its ‘four o’clock Cup-a-Soup’ campaign, and Senseo
has invented a whole new way of making coffee.
For that matter, with the arrival
TOP 10 BRAND BRANDASSET SCORE
of more and more alternatives % RANK
for ‘ordinary’ coffee it is quite 1 Coca-Cola 99.8
an achievement that the tried 2 Douwe Egberts 99.7
and trusted Douwe Egberts 3 Calvé 98.6
brand has nevertheless expe- 4 Pickwick 98.2
rienced another slight growth 5 Senseo 98.0
6 Duracell 97.4
in its brand strength.
7 Unox 96.8
8 Maggi 96.5
9 Magnum 96.3
10 Cup-a-Soup 96.1

18. BRAND BATTLE
NESPRESSO VS. SENSEO
With a BrandAsset Score of 98.0%, more and more people are becoming
Senseo – one of the Top 20 strongest familiar with drinking high quality coffee
brands in the Netherlands – beats com- at any time of day. This trend reflects
p itor Nespresso (88.3%). Nespres o’s the development that Nespresso has
et s
high score is not enough to gain victory gone through among its consumers.
over a strongly established brand like From a brand for innovators and early
Senseo. Everyone knows Senseo, but adopters, Nespresso has grown into a
the brand is still seen as innovative brand that is also enjoyed by the mid-
by the Dutch consumer. It repeatedly dle majority. The innovative groups
expands its range with new flavours, have shown that they value the brand,
and also appeals to younger target so now the mass audience can ‘safely’
groups by casting singers Alain Clark follow, by buying high quality coffee
and Jacqueline Govaert in its latest ‘on the go’, but also being able to enjoy
campaign. In this way the brand has it at home. Due to this trend Nespresso
been retaining its relevance for various has become more relevant to a larger
target groups for years. group of consumers. This is illustrated
by the fact that within five years eight
But Nespresso is becoming a more seri- Nespresso Boutiques have been
ous competitor for Senseo. In principle opened in De Bijenkorf stores.
Nespresso, with its exclusive approach,
has always had the image of a coffee
for the elite, but the brand has also
clearly made progress among average Adoption curve
Dutch consumers. There are more and
more coffee bars on the high street, so
TIME
INNOVATORS EARLY MIDDLE LAGGARDS
ADOPTERS MAJORITY

19. CONSUMER PROFILE
AXE REXONA
THE AXE USER: THE REXONA USER:
is conservatively minded buys organic products more often
does what he wants is fashion-conscious and likes to stand out from the crowd
has a nonchalant attitude to money is careful with money
MAGAZINES
Kampioen Linda.
MEN’S MAGAZINES Revu Elle WOMEN’S MAGAZINES
Panorama VIVA
SODA
SODA FOR Sisi Crystal Clear
BEGINNERS
Dr. Pepper Spa MATURE SODA
7UP Royal Club
BEER
Dommelsch Hoegaarden
FAMILIAR TASTE Jupiler Carlsberg FRESH AND DIFFERENT
Grolsch Corona
SPORT
Cycle racing Ice skating
ROBERT GESINK Premier League Horseback-riding SVEN KRAMER
Formula 1 Running
NB: results are based on a comparison of both groups in relation to each other and sorted by the greatest differences in preference.

20. TECHTRONICS
TOP 10 BRAND BRANDASSET SCORE
% RANK
ics
1 Philips 99,2
2 Microsoft 99,0
on
3 Senseo 98,0
4 Miele 97,8
htr
5 Tefal 97,2
6 Apple 96,4
7 TomTom 95,9
tec
8 Nokia 93,5
9 Sony 93,0
10 Bose 90,9
TOP 10 STRONGEST TECHTRONICS
The techtronics category shows that The techtronics category also makes
Philips still leads the way in this field. it very clear that the rise of mobile
The old familiar Dutch brand can rely internet smartphone brands like
on the support of the Dutch consumer. iPhone, BlackBerry and HTC have won
With its brand promise of ‘sense and territory from more traditional, esta-
simplicity’, Philips allows people to blished com uter and telephony
p
benefit from innovations that are both brands, including Microsoft and Nokia.
advanced and user-friendly, and are These two brands have joined forces
designed with a view to users’ demands. to arm themselves against this
Such as the Wake-Up Light for exam- competi ion. However, the question
t
ple, which was successfully tested in remains whether they will grow in line
2010 in the northernmost town in the with the ‘Mobile Mania’ trend (Y&R).
world in a big social media campaign.
BRAND BRANDASSET SCORE VAR
% RANK 2010
iPhone 89.2 +13.7
HTC 47.4 +36.8
Nokia 93.5 -1.9

21. VS N TL D
CA T N
NI . O E
With a BrandAsset Score of 70.2% Canon beats
BA A
KO N
Nikon (62.9%), but the brands seem to be growing
BR
closer together. Canon will have to keep a sharp
eye on Nikon. The Canon brand has been stronger
N
than Nikon for years, but particularly because of a
fall in differentiation it has once again declined in
brand strength (-2.3). On the other hand, Nikon is
shifting from being a semi-professional brand to a
camera with broader relevance. That can be clearly
seen in the current ‘I AM Nikon’ campaign, as a
response to Canon’s ‘You Can’ brand platform,
which has been successful for years. The idea that
you can show who you are with your camera is
catching on, and it is not only making Nikon more
relevant among a larger target group, but also
more highly esteemed.
Canon will still be able to benefit from the breadth
of the brand, which includes various products, for
some time. As the market leader in Digital Imaging,
the brand has more than enough potential to grow
further. Nikon has a narrower portfolio, so it has the
power of focus. The future winner will be the brand
that succeeds in getting most closely involved with
the consumer and capitalising on modern-day
developments. Canon promises ‘creativity for all’,
while Nikon inspires consumers to share an image of
themselves with friends: self-publishing. The battle
will be a close call, but it may well be that Nikon’s
more social proposition will be the deciding factor.
Canon
2009 2011
DIFFERENTIATION RELEVANCE ESTEEM KNOWLEDGE

22. CONSUMER PROFILE
iPHONE NOKIA
THE iPHONE USER: THE NOKIA USER:
has great self-confidence is not the nightlife type
likes fun, excitement and risk plays safe
is innovative and fashion-conscious is conservatively minded
TELEVISION
BNN EO
YOUTH CHANNEL MTV TROS FAMILY CHANNEL
Discovery Channel AVRO
FASHION
The Sting M&S Mode
TRENDY FASHION ZARA Vögele BASIC FASHION
WE C&A
SUPERMARKET
Jumbo Lidl
SERVICE Albert Heijn C1000 PRICE
Plus Dirk van den Broek
CAR
Volvo Volkswagen
STYLISH DESIGN Peugeot Fiat FAMILIAR SIMPLICITY
BMW Renault
NB: results are based on a comparison of both groups in relation to each other and sorted by the greatest differences in preference.

23. FINANCIALS
TOP 10 BRAND BRANDASSET SCORE
% RANK
1 Rabobank 96.2
2 ING Bank 84.6
3 MasterCard 72.8
4 ABN AMRO 64.7
5 Univé 56.7
6 Centraal Beheer Achmea 51.6
7 Visa 48.8
8 Nationale Nederlanden 47.1
9 Achmea 41.6
10 Interpolis 32.7
TOP 10 STRONGEST FINANCIALS
The financials category shows that banks and insurers are gener-
ally no strong brands. The average financial services provider has
difficulty in claiming a distinctive position in the perception of the
consumer. Apart from Rabobank and a number of specialists, all
the brands in this category score low on differentiation. Because
of this there are fairly large differences between the top brands.
Rabobank is the undisputed leader, and only has the ING Bank as
a serious competitor. Following its integration with the Postbank
this brand continues to grow. The level of confidence in the finan-
cial services providers shows that the category as a whole is pick-
ing up. Although consumer confidence in the financial services
providers has fallen further and further since 1997, last year this
confidence rose again for the first time.
Development of trust in financials
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
1993 1997 2000 2003 2005 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

24. FINANCIALS
The strongest insurer in the Top 10 also demonstrates that confi-
dence is crucial in claiming a distinctive position for yourself within
the category. Univé – a non-profit cooperative association – is seen
as more ‘trustworthy’ in relation to the average insurer, and can rely
on more sympathy from the consumer.
Finally, the category shows that the strength of credit cards is benefit-
ing from the maturity of the e-commerce market. Since 2007 in
particular the relevance, esteem and knowledge of both MasterCard
and Visa have risen considerably.
MasterCard vs. Visa
1993 2011
MasterCard Visa MasterCard Visa
RELEVANCE KNOWLEDGE

25. BRAND BATTLE
ABN AMRO VS. RABOBANK
With a BrandAsset Score of 96.2%, Rabo- Fortis and the controversy surrounding
bank easily beats ABN AMRO, which has bonuses. Its positioning as ‘The Bank’
a BrandAsset Score of ‘only’ 64.7%. was therefore no longer credible.
Rabo ank has stood at the summit of
b
the banking landscape for years, and Therefore its rise this year is very impres-
this position has only grown stronger sive. With its new positioning as ‘Today’s
since the financial crisis. Rabobank has Bank’, ABN AMRO is once again gaining
emerged from the crisis unscathed, in esteem. Not vague ideas for the fu-
which has further strengthened its ture, but concrete solutions for today are
knowledge and esteem ratings. evidently the right response to the past.
ABN AMRO is less strong, but it has ex-
perienced a very strong rise in the past PowerGrid ABN AMRO vs. Rabobank
year (+25.8). ABN AMRO had shown a
Rabobank 2011
downward trend for years, and last year
it sank to a deep point. The brand that
DIFFERENTIATION & RELEVANCE
for years called itself ‘The Bank’ has been
through some turbulent times, with ABN AMRO 2011
VITALITY
the state takeover, the merger with
2010
BRAND STATURE
ESTEEM & KNOWLEDGE

26. CONSUMER PROFILE
ASN BANK VAN LANSCHOT
THE ASN BANK CUSTOMER: THE VAN LANSCHOT CUSTOMER:
is open to alternative medicine has enormous self-confidence
buys organic products enjoys an intellectual discussion
is highly critical, and a conscious shopper is career-oriented
POLITICS
PVDA PVV
LEFT WING D66 LIBERAL
VVD
FASHION
Human Nature Ralph Lauren
ZIP-OFF TROUSERS Mexx McGregor POLO SHIRT
Desigual Tommy Hil ger
COFFEE
TRADITIONAL Perla Senseo
Kanis & Gunnink Nespresso CUPS & PADS
FILTER COFFEE Max Havelaar Starbucks
CHARITIES
Greenpeace Kika
SAVE THE PLANET Amnesty International Pink Ribbon MEDICAL CARE
Natuurmonumenten CliniClowns
NB: results are based on a comparison of both groups in relation to each other and sorted by the greatest differences in preference.

27. CREDITS
Authors
Bas Velthuis Head of Strategy Y&R
Jeffrey Kruk Brand Consultant BrandAsset Consult
Kim Dekker Brand Analyst BrandAsset Consult
For more information, please contact:
Jeffrey Kruk
jeffrey.kruk@brandassetconsult.nl
Tel: +31 (0)20 579 5600
BrandAsset Valuator Nederland
©® all rights reserved, 2011