The BSI Kitemark has been categorised as a 'Superbrand' for the second year
running in the Top 500 Business Superbrands chart for 2009 – but this
year has moved up the chart by a staggering 105 places.
The Kitemark, the label on products and services that guarantees that
they have met stringent safety and quality specifications, entered the
Top 500 Superbrands league for the first time last year. Now, in only
its second chart appearance, it has reached number 138 overall; and
number three in its category of Support Services: Associations and
Accreditations.
The Business Superbrands table is published by the Centre for Brand
Analysis following an assessment by an independent council of experts
and more than 1,500 business professionals. This establishes which
brands have the finest reputation in their field and offer advantages
that customers want, recognise and that they are confident about buying.
All Business Superbrands represent quality, reliability and distinction.
The BSI Group, which owns the Kitemark brand, has been a Top 500
Superbrand for five consecutive years in its own right – standing this
year at number 204, also in the Support Services: Associations and
Accreditations' category. But this year, the Kitemark brand has
leapfrogged the BSI Group in the chart, making it a bigger business
brand than its owner for the first time.
Not only is the Kitemark highly rated in the business sector, a recent
survey by YouGov showed it commands respect among consumers too.
Almost half of purchasers (49%) look for the mark when buying goods and
services. Recently, the Kitemark went online with a new service called,
Kitemark.com, which makes it easy for businesses and consumers to check
which products and manufacturers have gone through the organisation's
rigorous standards process and have been awarded a Kitemark.
Many of the brands that carry Kitemark accreditation have also achieved
Business Superbrand Top 500 status this year including Chubb, 3M, Blue Circle,
Saint Gobain and Tarmac.
David Ford, managing director at BSI Products and Services says: "The
fact that both the BSI Group and the Kitemark have achieved Superbrand
status is testament to their prominence as leading accreditation
schemes. We are investing further in promoting the Kitemark, through
services such as Kitemark.com, so that businesses and consumers continue
to look for the mark and so that more manufacturers and service
providers adopt the scheme."