Six things you may not know about the Kitemark

The BSI Kitemark™ is a mark of quality recognised the world over. It can often be found on items such as fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and manhole covers, but here are some facts about the Kitemark you may not have known:

The 'B' 'S' and 'V'

The name 'Kitemark' came from the kite based shape of the mark's design once drawn up. The mark comprises of three letters, a 'B' on its back, with an 'S' placed inside a 'V' underneath. These represent the words 'British', 'Standard', and 'Verification'.

It's one of the oldest marks still in use

It was officially registered as a trademark on 12 June, right back in 1903! Still widely recognised globally, this makes the Kitemark one of the oldest product quality marks still in use today.

It was originally known as the British Standard Mark

The British Superbrand

In 2008, after an independent vote, the Kitemark became a Superbrand, and featured in the Top 500 of Business Superbrands in the UK.

More than just quality products…

Evolving over the years, the Kitemark now represents more than just product quality. Kitemarks are now also available for the service industry - showing quality service and processes in things like window installation, vehicle damage repair, and even more recently, customer service and secure digital transactions.

The million pound mark

The first ever Kitemark registered back in 1903 was to set a standard for tramway rails, and after its implementation, reportedly saved the industry £1 million!

For more information on the Kitemark, the various schemes and services it covers, and the benefits it can bring, visit our Kitemark pages here