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Top Canadian Brands 2012: Brand Finance Survey Shows Banking And Finance Companies Dominate

Banks Winners, One Notable Loser Among Canada's Biggest Brands
Alamy

Banks and financial institutions dominate the list of Canada’s biggest brands, according to the latest report from a brand valuation consultancy, but energy companies are rising through the ranks rapidly while one brand in particular -- Research In Motion’s BlackBerry -- has seen its value plummet.

The Royal Bank of Canada maintained its position as the country’s most valuable brand in Brand Finance Canada’s 2012 edition of the 50 Most Valuable Canadian Brands. TD Bank took second spot, rising from sixth in the 2009 survey and unseating the former second-place holder, RIM’s BlackBerry.

The BlackBerry dropped to 10th place in the rankings. The survey -- which looks at a brand’s financial performance, market share, industry and customer feedback, customer loyalty and ethical practices to assign a dollar value to the brand -- estimated BlackBerry lost 25 per cent of its value in the last three years.

PHOTOS: THE 20 MOST VALUABLE CANADIAN BRANDS

ALSO: THE 10 MOST VALUABLE RETAIL BRANDS..

THE 10 MOST VALUABLE BANKING AND FINANCE BRANDS..

THE 10 MOST VALUABLE TECH AND TELECOM BRANDS..

THE 10 MOST VALUABLE ENERGY BRANDS..

RIM isn’t alone in seeing its brand value diminished. Among the companies that fell out of the top 50 altogether are Air Canada, Canwest, Magna, Maple Leaf Foods, Sears, Yellow Pages and WestJet.

The survey attempts to measure the market value of brands, rather than their recognizability. So while a brand like Tim Hortons may arguably be more recognizable than first-place RBC, someone who buys the RBC brand would be able to make more money from it than they would from the Tim Hortons brand.

Among the biggest gainers were energy and commodities companies, not surprising given the growing importance of those sectors to Canada’s economy. Enbridge, the company at the heart of the controversy over the Northern Gateway pipeline, saw its brand jump from 21st place in 2009 to sixth place in the new survey.

Saskatchewan’s Potash Corp., meanwhile, ranked 16th in the survey, having not placed in the top 50 at all in the 2009 rankings.

Brand Finance managing director Edgar Baum said the dominance of banks at the top of the list reflects the sheer wealth of those institutions.

“The banks are just really big in terms of size and revenue so is their brand value,” he told The Huffington Post Canada in an email.

Looking at up-and-coming brands, Baum had plenty of praise for some Quebec-based companies, stressing the province’s Cirque du Soleil and the rapidly-expanding convenience store chain Couche-Tard.

Cirque du Soleil is “an incredibly strong brand but still not big enough from a financial size perspective” to make the list, Baum said, while Couche-Tard’s purchase of retail chains such as Circle K has added value to its brands.

Baum also named Cineplex and Dollarama as two brands that are likely to grow in value.

THE 20 MOST VALUABLE CANADIAN BRANDS

20: Shoppers Drug Mart

Top 20 Most Valuable Canadian Brands

20. Barrick Gold

Brand value: $1.995 billion

19. McCain Foods

Brand value: $2.088 billion

18. Brookfield Properties

Brand value: $2.091 billion

17. Loblaws

Brand value: $2.151 billion

16. Potash Corp.

Brand value: $2.453 billion

15. CN Rail

Brand value: $2.664 billion

14. Telus

Brand value: $3.019 billion

13. George Weston

Brand value: $3.085 billion

12. Shaw

Brand value: $3.191 billion

11. Manulife

Brand value: $3.261 billion

10. BlackBerry

Brand value: $3.293 billion

9. Rogers

Brand value: $4.087 billion

8. Bombardier

Brand value: $4.199 billion

7. CIBC

Brand value: $4.557 billion

6. Enbridge

Brand value: $4.726 billion

5. Bell

Brand value: $5.258 billion

4. Bank of Montreal (BMO)

Brand value: $5.36 billion

3. Scotiabank

Brand value: $5.717 billion

2. TD Bank

Brand value: $8.499 billion

1. Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)

Brand value: $8.647 billion

THE 10 MOST VALUABLE RETAIL BRANDS

10. Dollarama

Canada's 10 Most Valuable Retail Brands

10. Dollarama

Brand value: $771 million

9. Circle K (Couche-Tard)

Though not particularly common in Canada, Circle K convenience stores are located across the U.S. and parts of Asia.

Brand value: $875 million

8. Real Canadian Superstore (Loblaws)

Brand value: $922 million

7. Sobey's

Brand value: $1.093 billion

6. Home Hardware

Brand value: $1.242 billion

5. Lululemon

Brand value: $1.35 billion

4. Tim Hortons

Brand value: $1.48 billion

3. Canadian Tire

Brand value: $1.791 billion

2. Shoppers Drug Mart

Brand value: $1.926 billion

1. Loblaws

Brand value: $2.151 billion

THE 10 MOST VALUABLE TECH AND TELECOM BRANDS

10. Open Text Corp.

Canada's 10 Most Valuable Tech and Telecom Brands

10. Open Text Corp.

Brand value: $624 million

9. Cogeco

Brand value: $790 million

8. Bell Aliant

Brand value: $1.015 billion

7. CGI Group

Brand value: $1.301 billion

6. Quebecor

Brand value: $1.753 billion

5. Telus

Brand value: $3.019 billion

4. Shaw

Brand value: $3.191 billion

3. BlackBerry (RIM)

Brand value: $3.293 billion

2. Rogers

Brand value: $4.087 billion

1. Bell

Brand value: $5.258 billion

THE 10 MOST VALUABLE ENERGY BRANDS

10. Encana

Canada's 10 Most Valuable Energy Brands

10. Encana

Brand value: $418 million

9. Canadian Natural Resources

Brand value: $702 million

8. Syncrude

Brand value: $933 million

7. Suncor

Brand value: $936 million

6. Cenovus

Brand value: $1.109 billion

5. TransCanada

Brand value: $1.47 billion

4. Husky

Brand value: $1.607 billion

3. Petro-Canada

Brand value: $1.831 billion

2. Esso (Imperial Oil)

Brand value: $1.849 billion

1. Enbridge

Brand value: $4.726 billion

THE 10 MOST VALUABLE BANKING AND FINANCE BRANDS

10. Intact Financial

Canada's 10 Most Valuable Banking & Finance Brands

10. Intact Financial

Brand value: $1.461 billion

9. Sun Life

Brand value: $1.474 billion

8. Great-West Lifeco

Brand value: $1.648 billion

7. National Bank of Canada

Brand value: $1.66 billion

6. Manulife

Brand value: $3.261 billion

5. CIBC

Brand value: $4.557 billion

4. Bank of Montreal (BMO)

Brand value: $5.36 billion

3. Scotiabank

Brand value: $5.717 billion

2. TD Bank

Brand value: $8.499 billion

1. Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)

Brand value: $8.647 billion

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