Superbrands hat-trick for BSI

BSI Group was yesterday awarded Business Superbrands status for 2007. BSI received the award for the third consecutive time making BSI a truly “super Superbrand”.

The Business Superbrands award has been given to BSI in recognition of having the finest reputation for quality, reliability and distinction as voted for by an expert panel and, for the first time, a survey of independent business professionals administered by YouGov. From a list of literally thousands of brands, BSI is proud to be one of the UK’s top 500 Business Superbrands.

From its foundation in 1901, BSI Group today has grown into a leading independent professional services business. The Group operates in over 110 countries and publishes over 2,000 new standards per year; delivers training, independent assessment and certification to some 60,000 customers worldwide; and is the owner of the Kitemark – the safety mark recognised and trusted by over 80% of the UK population*. At the heart of all the Group’s operations is the delivery of confidence and assurance, re-enforced by its values of integrity, independence and innovation.

Stephen Cheliotis, Chairman of Superbrands Councils said: “BSI is seen as a highly trusted and reliable brand with companies and consumers. As an organisation that produces on average 2,000 new standards a year it sets itself, as you might expect, high internal standards which it ensures it lives up to. The brand is forward thinking and innovative and continues to gain momentum; a positive drive speeded up since it implemented a single global brand identity in 2002.

Its intelligent marketing includes the highly regarded Business Standards magazine, whilst local campaigns ensure that those closest to the clients engage in relevant local promotion. The brand’s integrity, service and professionalism inspire confidence amongst clients, whilst its certification marks give reassurance to their end consumers. BSI deserves once again to be recognised amongst the business elite; the latest award shows that not just the experts but also the wider business community highly rate the brand making this achievement sweeter than ever.”

BSI Group CEO, Stevan Breeze added, “Winning this award for the third consecutive time is testament to the fact that BSI has always, and will always put customers at the centre of our business. We strive to exceed our customers’ expectations, whilst never compromising our values. The strength of our brand is down to our staff who are committed to delivering such high levels of customer service that BSI Group remains first choice as partner for the delivery of standards-based solutions to businesses in the UK and globally.

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*Survey conducted by GfK NOP in July 2006 showed that 82% of the UK adult population recognised the Kitemark®. Of those who recognised the Kitemark, 93% thought Kitemark products were safer while 91% felt they would be better quality. 88% have more trust in Kitemark® products or services and 75% claim that the Kitemark helps them to choose between products.

For media information:
BSI Group Press Office, London
Tel: +44 (0)20 8996 6330 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +44 (0)20 8996 6330 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (24hr)
Email: Pressoffice@bsi-global.com

EDITORS' NOTES

What is a Business Superbrand?

A Business Superbrand is one which...:

“...has established the finest reputation in its field, and offers customers emotional and/or tangible advantages over competitors which (consciously or subconsciously) customers want, recognise and are confident about investing in. Business Superbrands must represent quality, reliability and distinction”

Business Superbrands are targeted at businesses and organizations (although not exclusively so).

The steps to Business Superbrands status

1. Superbrands commissioned independent researchers to draw up an initial list of literally thousands of the UK’s B2B brands.

2. Of this list, 1,320 brands were considered by the independent and voluntary Business Superbrands Council. Council members scored each brand between 1 and 10 but were not permitted to rank any brands they had an association with or were in direct competition with. Consideration of the following factors were used for ranking:

• Quality: Does the brand represent quality products?

• Reliability: Can the brand be trusted to deliver consistently against its promises and maintain product and service standards across all customer touch points?

• Distinction: Is the brand well known in its sector, is it suitably differentiated from its competitors and does it have a personality and value that make it unique within its market place?

3. The top 700 brands were passed to YouGov (the research agency) for the business professionals' vote. The total sample size was over 1,400. 4. The 700 brands were then ranked based on a 50/50 weighting. In accordance with the mandate given by the Business Superbrands Council, the top 500 brands were awarded “Business Superbrands” status.

Through identifying the strongest business to business brands, and providing their case histories, Superbrands aims to inform people about the discipline of branding and foster a greater admiration for the brands themselves.

The programme is endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the British Brands Group. This is the fourth Business Superbrands programme; the previous programmes were launched in November 2000, March 2002 and August 2005.

Who is on the judging panel?

The Business Superbrand status is awarded by the UK Business Superbrands Council based on their votes and those of independent business professionals. The council is made up of independent and voluntary individuals each with a deep appreciation of B2B brands and branding. The council is revised each year and members cannot vote for brands that they are involved with or which are competitive with their own. Members of this year’s council are as follows:

Which other brands are Business Superbrands in 2007?

What does the Business Superbrands award consist of?

Award winners are entitled to become a Business Superbrand member and entitled to the following benefits:

• Promotional support provided by Superbrands including coverage in a special Sunday Telegraph supplement, plus advertising in the media

• A double-page spread in the Business Superbrands 2007 book and 250 copies solely for the company's own use

• Displaying the Business Superbrands Stamp on advertising, promotional material, packaging and other marketing communication collateral

• Information on Superbrands website and access to their online Members Exchange System.
The Business Superbrands books are distributed as follows:

• Senior business executives through Institute of Directors, Confederation of British Industry distribution chain

• Senior managers in the UK’s top companies (FTSE 100 and 250)

• Journalists (TV and radio), national and trade press

• Major government bodies, business and professional organizations and trade associations, higher educational institutions and business schools

• Investment managers of major investment and finance businesses

• Sales through retail chains including Blackwells, Waterstones and Borders

• Sales through dedicated credit card order to general public, specialist libraries and the wider marketing community.


About BSI

BSI Group is a leader in the development of standards based business solutions, and as such is the originator of the world’s most popular management systems standards and specifications. These include the ISO 9000 series of quality management standards, ISO 14001 for environmental management, ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management, OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety, ISO 10002 for complaints management and ISO/IEC 20000 for IT service management.

These management specifications have achieved global acceptance as tools to enhance the effectiveness of organizations.

BSI is also at the leading edge of developing standards in emerging technologies such as nanotechnology, biometrics and regenerative medicine – all of which will have a global impact in the future.

BSI British Standards is the National Standards Body of the UK and develops standards and standardisation solutions to meet the needs of business and society. They work with government, businesses and consumers to facilitate the production of British, European and international standards. British Standards’ products and services help organisations world wide to successfully implement best practice, manage business critical decisions and achieve excellence. This includes a wide range of published information and commissioned services delivered under the BSI Business Information brand.

BSI Management Systems operates world wide to provide organisations with independent third-party certification of their management systems, including ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environment), OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety), ISO/IEC 27001 (previously BS 7799 for Information Security), ISO/IEC 20000 (previously BS 15000 for IT Service Management) and Food Safety, including ISO 22000. In addition, BSI Management Systems offers a range of training services around management systems.

BSI Product Services is best known in the UK for the Kitemark, the UK’s first product quality mark. BSI Product Services exists to help industry develop new and better products and to make sure they meet current and future laws and regulations, from commercial construction to motorcycle helmets, from mobile phones to fire extinguishers, from car headlights to medical devices. It also provides third party certification, specifically for CE marking – a legal requirement for certain categories of products to be sold within the EU. The division also offers an exciting new range of schemes aimed at improving quality within service markets.

BSI Entropy International Ltd is headquartered in Lancaster, UK, with international operations in Ottawa, Canada and Exton PA, USA. Entropy International provides software solutions that enable organisations worldwide to improve environmental, social and economic performance, thereby contributing to global sustainability. The Entropy System is a market-leading, web-based application for enterprise-level risk and compliance management that helps businesses improve internal control and overall corporate governance.

Kitemark® and the Kitemark® logo are registered trademarks of BSI Group

For media information, call: Marc Edney on +44 (0)20 8996 6330 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +44 (0)20 8996 6330 end_of_the_skype_highlighting in the BSI Press Office serving Europe.