The second Superbrands programme was launched last week at a breakfast meeting at Hilton Malta, Portomaso. The branding concept that is Superbrands, dubbed the independent arbiter of branding, builds on the success of the first edition that was launched in 2009.

Maurizio Comollo, Italy Country Head, who is responsible for Italy, Malta and Mauritius, sees further potential in the successful implementation of this branding concept locally. “Superbrands gives local brand owners the opportunity to stand out, with a seal of quality and value, and brings the islands’ top brands together and enables them to gain a significant advantage over their competition, while building synergies with similar high value brands,” he said.

Stressing the importance of branding to companies the world over, Mr Comollo said brands are increasingly being seen as valuable business assets. Superbrands was launched in the UK in 1994 and is now found in 87 countries.

It was launched in Italy in 2002 and has so far led to the production of four editions of the Superbrands brand ‘bible’, apart from three other ‘bibles’ on Business to Business brands, Luxury & Lifestyle brands and CoolBrands, and the latest edition to mark Italy’s 150th anniversary.

Mr Comollo announced that the first step in compiling a Malta and Gozo Superbrands brand ‘bible’, to be launched in December, had been accomplished with the appointment of a 10-member Superbrands Council Malta & Gozo 2011-12, chaired by former Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech.

Local market research company Misco will be carrying out a survey on brand awareness in Malta and that, along with a shortlist of 1,200 brands from an initial list of 2,500 that were considered by Superbrands, will produce a final list.

Each brand will be scored and will be whittled down to 350 brands who will then be invited to join the second programme of Superbrands for Malta and Gozo. The highest scoring brands will earn themselves ‘Business Superbrands’ status and will receive an award at a tribute event to be held in late November.

Mr Comollo defined a Superbrand as one that “has established the finest reputation in its field. It offers customers significant emotional and/or tangible advantages over competitors which (consciously or subconsciously) customers want, recognise and are confident about investing in.

“Malta and Gozo are now being placed on the Superbrands’ world map. With Malta being a member of the European Union, it was inevitable that such a programme should have started here and been a success.”

The Superbrands organisation assists in:

• enhancing the perception of a brand;

• conducts research through highly reputable polling organisations and provides independent comment about brands;

• works at featuring a brand in the media and

• produces a brand ‘bible’ of which 4,000 copies will be printed, apart from being available on the Superbrands’ website, which contains all the case studies across its different programmes.