Fifty-four of the most prestigious brands in Malta and Gozo, including this newspaper’s publishers Standard Publications, have been awarded Superbrand status by the Superbrands Council.
The council, made up of independent jurors and distinguished scholars, chose what in their opinion are 54 of the best brands in Malta – on the basis of marketing, efficiency, customer care and value for money for the products and services they offer.
Members of the Superbrands Council include, among others, renowned historian Professor Henry Frendo, head of the Public Broadcasting Services Dr Clare Thake Vassallo, entrepreneur Frank Salt, and former minister Francis Zammit Dimech.
The 54 brands chosen were awarded an internationally recognised certificate and were given the opportunity to outline their company’s plans and projects for 2010 during a lavish ceremony held last Thursday at the Hilton Malta. A large format book giving an insight into the services and products of each brand chosen was also officially launched on the night.
At the launch of the official Superbrand book and awarding of certificates, Maurizio Comollo, head of Superbrands in Malta, commented, “The brands chosen have the chance to use the Superbrands seal in order to promote themselves and enjoy the chance to make their new status known to the existing community of Superbrands worldwide, which is made up of over 5,500 brands.
“This status is obtained thanks to their reputation and the disclosure procedure they have had to submit themselves to in order to gain this benefit. Since it is sometimes difficult for people to choose between one brand and another, the launch of the Superbrands book in Malta will hopefully go a long way in helping people assess the differences between one brand and another, and in the process choose the best quality or service that will meet their desired needs,” said Mr Comollo.
Superbrands Group CEO Eamonn Sadler explained how Superbrands concept had originated in the UK in 1994 and is now established in 86 countries worldwide.
“Such was the positive recognition and feedback from various companies from our initial launch in 1994 that we opted to come up with a Superbrands council in each country to select those brands of a certain calibre which are the very best at what they promote and do,” said Mr Sadler.
Dr Francis Zammit Dimech, president of the Council of Superbrands Malta, said that the Superbrands concept mirrors the continuous strive for excellence on all fronts which is at the heart of the current government’s plans.
Dr Zammit Dimech added that an independent team of jurors had been selected to judge and state objectively which products or services deserved to stand out from others.
“Even though Malta is an island, the fact that it is isolated from nearby countries has not hindered worldwide famous brands from investing in Malta. It is our duty to recognise those that stand out and on what basis they are different from other companies offering similar products and services,” said Dr Zammit Dimech.
Standard Publications Limited – publishers of The Malta Independent, The Malta Independent on Sunday and The Malta Business Weekly – was chosen as a Superbrand, as were Taste and Flair, two high quality magazines published by Proximus and distributed with The Malta Independent on Sunday.