Brand management is a term used to describe the systematic development of a brand within a target group and its differentiation from the competition. When this is done well, brand management can allow a brand to become functional, relevant and emotionally “charged”, and thus to become a true corporate value. Based on years of research experience, the leading market research and consulting company, EuPD Research, has developed a model in which over 30 individual factors are analysed in order to quantify and evaluate brand management.
The “Top Brand PV” seal has been developed by EuPD Research as a way of objectively evaluating the brand management strategies of module and inverter manufacturers. Statements made by market intermediaries and end customers serve as the foundation of the evaluation. Manufacturers thus receive an unfiltered assessment of their own brand as well as feedback on where potential lies to optimise their brand management.
Sanyo stood out after it was found that a high percentage of installers recommended the brand to others and gave it a positive evaluation. Thus, EuPD Research decided to award the company its premium seal, which is awarded to leading industry brands only. According to the latest assessments, only ten module manufactures and five inverter manufacturers rank among the global “Top Brand PV”.
“This accolade confirms our brand strategy and the quality of our products. The seal is a first-rate reference for our customer base,” says Shigeki Komatsu, Head of the Solar Division at Sanyo Component Europe GmbH.
With the “Top Brand PV” seal, EuPD Research is extending their certification expertise into the PV sector. Alongside their “Corporate Health Award”, a leading award in the area of sustainable management, EuPD Research now hopes to present manufacturers in the PV branch with new benefits. The seal sets companies above the competition and helps strengthen their positive image in the mind-set of buyers.
Seal of approval
In a competitive market, seals of approval such as the “Top Brand PV” seal do not just offer benefits for manufacturers – intermediaries such as installers can also differentiate themselves once they have proven that they are offering high quality brands. This generates extra marketing benefits without additional costs. For end customers, the quality seal offers a point of orientation in a highly differentiated market. The seal is both easy to understand and recognisable for the customer.
The Dutch company Scheuten Solar was the first European manufacturer to be awarded the “Top Brand PV” seal in June of this year. At the time, Scheuten Solar’s CEO, Hans Willemsen, said the seal showed his company was “on the right track” with its brand structure and management and “confirmed the hard work we have always put in for our customers”.
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