As one of the top 3 brand evaluation institutions well-known in the world, World Brand Lab announced the “China’s 500 Most Valuable Brands 2015” in Beijing on June 16, in which Industrial Bank (IB) ranked 127 with a brand value of RMB 20.289 billion, up by RMB 3.153 billion over the previous year. This is the sixth consecutive year that IB makes its presence in the ranking of “China’s 500 Most Valuable Brands” after its first presence in 2010. In recent years, the bank’s brand influence witnessed constant expansion. Its brand value increased by RMB 17.604 billion compared with that in 2010, up by 656% on a YoY basis, and its rank climbed up 191 positions over 2010. It topped all banks in the ranking in terms of both increased brand value and rank promotion.
Founded in New York in 2003, World Brand Lab was chaired by Prof. Robert A. Mundell, winner of Nobel Prize in Economics in 1999 and the father of Euro. It upholds the principle of independence and fairness. Since 2004, the institution has made evaluation over China’s brands based on analysis of financial indexes and consumer behavior and brand strength, and announced the ranking each year. The appraisal experts and consultants mostly come from world class universities such as Harvard University, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge, so the ranking is of high authoritativeness and important reference significance for evaluation of brand values and intangible assets of enterprises.
In mutual complementation with its differentiated strategy in business operation, IB also adhered to differentiation in its brand building in recent years. On the one hand, relying on its first-mover advantages and market position in environment finance and the identity of the first Equator bank in China, IB boasts a leading image in the area of “green finance” in China, which has been well-established in the industry. On the other hand, its brand influence and reputation in its core advantageous businesses and strategic emerging businesses also becomes prominent gradually. For instance, its brand prestige and market influence set its own banner in businesses such as “bank-bank platform”, precious metal agency trading, assets custody, and investment banking; its new internet finance brands including “Money Manager”, “Industrial Treasure”, and Direct Bank are very popular; and its business brands in consumer finance, such as “Enjoyable Life” old-age financial service and “Universal Life” go-abroad financial service, other areas including financial services provided to small- and mini-sized enterprises are making a figure in the market. All of these highlight its strategic business transformation and group-based effect, and the bank has established unique brand perception among consumers.
The performance and transformation achievements of the bank in adapting to the market-oriented trend lend substantial support for the improvement of its brand value. As revealed by relevant data, the total assets of IB hit RMB 4.4 trillion by the end of 2014, up by 138% over 2010; the operating incomes reached RMB 124.898 billion, up by 187% over 2010; and the net profits amounted to RMB 47.138 billion, up by 155% over 2010. In the latest ranking of “Top 500 Banking Brands 2015” released by the British magazine, The Banker, IB moved up to No. 55.
As indicated by insiders, with the deepening of structural reform in China’s capital market, institutions in the financial industry speed up their market-oriented transformation one after another, and the face-to-face contests among them have shifted from competition in price, service, talents, technology and equipment to that in overall strength centering on brand.