Red Bull remains by far the most valuable brand in Austria

In fourth place is the retail chain Spar with a brand value of 2.8 billion euros, representing an increase of 4.9 percent. According to the study, this makes Spar the most valuable food retailer in Austria.

Verbund is the only top company to lose ground

Fifth place is held by XXXLutz, followed by Raiffeisen in seventh place with a brand value of 2.1 billion euros, an increase of 3.8 percent. Eighth place goes to the energy group Verbund, which was the only company in the ranking to suffer a decline.

According to the EBI, Verbund lost 10.6 percent of its brand value and now stands at 1.4 billion euros. Hrebicek attributed the decline to a significant drop in electricity generation from hydropower and said: "We see less strategic potential at Verbund."

Tenth place is held by the mineral oil group OMV, whose brand value rose by 2.8 percent to 1.2 billion euros. After a decline in the previous year, the company has thus returned to moderate growth.

Sustainability as a brand factor

In addition to the classic brand value, the EBI also compiled a sustainability ranking. There, ÖBB, a subsidiary of the Austrian Federal Railways, leads the list for the seventh time in a row. Hrebicek described ÖBB as a "paradigm example of how sustainability can be integrated into a company's DNA" and emphasized: "Sustainability strengthens brand value" and "pays off."

Second and third place in the sustainability ranking are held by Novomatic and Verbund. Hrebicek also pointed to the economic importance of strong brands and called for an "Austrian brand strategy" as an important impulse for the business location.

Call for a brand strategy

Overall, the study paints a mixed picture: while most top brands were able to gain ground, two energy-related companies, Verbund and OMV, recorded either a decline or only modest growth, underscoring the influence of economic and climatic factors on brand valuation.

Hrebicek presented the results at a press conference in Vienna. The European Brand Institute's brand value study is published annually and is considered one of the central surveys for the evaluation of domestic brands.