What are the 50 French brands that are most valuable in 2021?

When presenting the results of the 2021 edition of its annual BrandZ ranking, Kantar recalls the good shape of French brands, whose valuations show some of the strongest growth observed in the world (4.9%), and this despite the health crisis. 15 billion dollars of additional cumulative value have been recorded in the last twelve months, for a total valuation of this top 50 of 325 billion dollars.

"Internationally, only the ranking value of Chinese (+12%) and German (+5%) brands also increased year-on-year. At the same time, the value of brands in the most of the major countries fell: Spain (-20%), United Kingdom (-13%), Netherlands (-12%) or Japan (-8%)", explains Kantar in a press release. " The leaders Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès, L'Oréal Paris and Orange remain the strongest French brands , with an average increase of 8%". To explain these good performances of French brands compared to international brands, Kantar evokes a greater exposure of the activity of these brands internationally, the agility of the latter in the face of the crisis or the advance taken in recent years. years on CSR topics.

International, digital and CSR to stand out

"More than 81% of the value of the BrandZ Top 50 France brands comes from their activity carried out outside the national territory " , indicates the press release from Kantar, which specifies that brands with strong international activity have experienced growth in their valuation three times stronger than those less exposed abroad. We recall that the luxury sector accounts for half of the total valuation of the BrandZ Top 50 brands.

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Furthermore, to illustrate the agility in the face of the crisis, Kantar cites the examples of Decathlon (n°21; 2.6 billion dollars; +11%) and Leroy Merlin (n°31; 1.6 billion dollars). ; +12%), two "French specialized distribution brands which have been able to adapt their model to the pandemic context by offering products and services that meet the new habits of consumers", such as the Decat'Coach application for practicing a sport at home, or the new remote appliance repair services.

Finally, in terms of CSR, we should mention the good progress of the La Roche Posay brand (No. 28; 2.0 billion dollars; +25%) , which benefited, like the brands in the hygiene / beauty sector (+12%) increased consumer interest in their health. Ditto for Garnier (No. 7; 7.8 billion dollars; +10%), considered by Kantar as "the standard bearer of the L'Oréal group on Green Beauty".

The arrival in the BrandZ Top50 of brands such as Monoprix (n°50; 0.7 billion dollars) and leboncoin also illustrates the importance of "better consumption" and the circular economy. "Part of Monoprix's success is linked to the fact that people have turned to convenience stores to do their shopping during confinement. The brand has also been an organic pioneer since the 1990s, and has been able to develop its online capacities thanks to partnerships with Amazon or Ocado for example", explains Pierre Gomy, CMO of Kantar Insights & Public France during the restitution of the study. Similarly, leboncoin is benefiting from the explosion in second-hand sales in 2020, " with more than 40 million ads in 2020, more than double the previous year , and strong audience growth, i.e. + 20% in particular in the fashion, home, real estate, automotive, leisure and multimedia sectors.

Finally, Yoplait took advantage of the context linked to more home meals in 2020, but also "initiatives undertaken for better nutrition (revisited recipes with less sugar, positive education program for children and adolescents) and for the protection of the environment (packaging innovations, recycling in the operation of factories, protection of bees)", indicates the press release.

For Marie-Agathe Nicoli, Managing Director of the Brand domain at Kantar: “The pandemic has undeniably accelerated certain societal trends that were at stake before the crisis. And French brands were already well positioned in these dimensions. a multi-channel customer journey has become more important than ever given the current situation." Moreover, "the success of French brands is based on their know-how in the categories in which they excel, this is the famous French know-how. In the next decade, brands will increasingly have to build emotional and trusting relationships to build their reputation, assuming greater environmental and social responsibility."

Also read: Mobile ad revenue hits $295 billion in 2021

To go further: the BrandZ Top50 ranking of 2020

Methodology :

Since 1998, BrandZ has been sharing brand development insights with business leaders, based on interviews with 3.8 million consumers, for more than 18,000 brands in 51 markets.