HOPE AND CONFIDENCE POISED TO DELIVER CHANGE
I am delighted to introduce you to the inaugural WPP BrandZ™ Top 50 Most
Valuable French Brands ranking at a time of great change in France.
As the country adjusts to newly elected
President Emmanuel Macron’s vision for
France and its future, this ground-breaking
study ranks the country’s most successful
brands, analyzes their strengths, and
identifies the key forces that are driving
growth in this market.
It is the first edition of an annual review
that will track and anticipate the rapidly
evolving environment for brands in France,
and will chart the changing fortunes of the country’s most valuable brands.
We are incredibly excited to be bringing
the BrandZ™ study to France. This is one
of the largest economies in the European
Union and the seventh-biggest in the
world. It is also an economy proving adept
at managing change.
France’s influence around the world has
stemmed from exploration and diplomacy;
from style and craftsmanship. That rich
heritage is serving French brands well.
In times of change and uncertainty,
consumers gravitate towards longestablished
brands that are trusted for
quality.
At the same time, the landscape in which
business is done and on which brands
are built is being transformed. This is to
some extent happening the world over, but
in France it comes at a time when, postelection,
there is hope that the government
can help unlock new development
opportunities and help people build a
strong future for themselves.
France’s economy grew at 0.4 percent in
the first quarter of 2017, beating forecasts
of 0.3 percent. This is still slow growth
by world standards, but does signal that
recovery may be under way.
France’s educated and talented workforce,
strong infrastructure and appetite for
innovation are laying the foundations
for future growth. This is, after all, the
country that gave the world the word
“entrepreneur”.
In fact, at the world’s biggest consumer
electronics and information fair, CES
2017, more than 260 French companies
were represented, and at the Eureka Park
exhibition zone for startups, there were
more French startups this year than from
China, Israel or the UK.
So while France is perhaps best known
for producing Chanel and Louis Vuitton,
it is also the birthplace of tech-based
innovators such as BlaBlaCar, Criteo,
Devialet, and a growing number of rising
stars.
As France’s cultural and business
exports change, so too does the image
of “Brand France” that they carry with
them. In this report, we examine the
strength of the relationship between
Brand France and the brands of France,
which has been a powerful exemplar for
consumer and destination brands the
world over. The changing face of French
business, combining the strength of the
past with the energy of the current crop
of entrepreneurs, will help determine
what France stands for in the mind of the
modern global consumer.
We take an exclusive, in-depth look at data
and analysis from the “Best Countries”
research done by Y&R’s BAV Group,
with Partners US News and the Wharton
Business School, which shines a light
on how country of origin affects French
brands.
Go to
brandz.com to learn more.