Interbrand, the world’s largest and most influential brand consultancy, has announced its entry into the market with the partnering of Hatton National Bank (HNB), Sri Lanka’s leading private commercial bank. 

In Sri Lanka, to commence the initiative and run some of Interbrand’s most respected processes – including Brand Strength and Role of Brand – is Interbrand India Managing Director Ashish Mishra and his senior strategy and client team. Sri Lankan brand consultancy Michel Nugawela Designs (MND) will partner Interbrand for the duration of the programme and leverage its brand engagement processes that drive high-performance brand cultures.

Established in 1974 and an opinion leader in the field of value-based brand management, Interbrand was the first brand consultancy to recognize the significance of a brand as a business asset and introduce the brand valuation concept. With a network of over 33 offices in 27 countries, Interbrand’s combination of rigorous strategy, analytics and world-class design enables it to assist clients in creating and managing brand value effectively, across all touchpoints, in all market dynamics.

 
Its annual Best Global Brands report, the definitive guide to the world’s 100 most valuable brands and now in its 17th year, valuates each brand’s financial performance, role and strength through a five-step Economic Value-Added methodology, which is also the first of its kind to be ISO certified. 
Interbrand recently launched the inaugural Interbrand Breakthrough Brands report in partnership with Facebook, Ready Set Rocket and the New York Stock Exchange. The report is unique in that it examines emerging companies that are brand-led – organisations that have both unique business models and strong brands. The report complements Interbrand’s Best Global Brands report by putting a spotlight on emerging brands – especially those that are affecting change and embodying growth.
Interbrand’s portfolio of services include research and analytics to gain deep understanding of unmet needs and opportunities related to brands, customers or markets; strategy that defines the purpose, identity and role of brands to create differentiation and value for businesses; the creation and integration of products, services, behaviours, communications and environments that build holistic experiences that connect people and brands in unique ways; and strategic planning, technology platforms, and internal engagement that bring a brand experience to market and strengthen internal marketing and brand management capabilities.

Interbrand’s impressive portfolio of clients include brand leaders in every industry, category and segment including HSBC, American Express, Credit Suisse, Barclays, Swiss Re, Allstate and Bank of America in financial services; GE, Shell, IBM, KPMG and Godrej in diversified sectors; FedEx, UPS, DHL, British Airways, KLM, Thai, Iberia, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Maersk in logistics and transportation; Unilever, P&G, Nestle, Kraft, Nivea, Knorr and Wrigley in CPG/FMCG; FIFA, Rugby Football Union, Ryder Cup, USGA and Sochi Olympics in sport branding; Gucci, Prada, Rolls Royce, Cartier, Piaget, Hugo Boss, Bulgari and Remy Martin in the luxury segment; as well as cities, regions and nations such as Edinburgh, Johannesburg, Monitoba, South Korea, Holland and Chile. 
Interbrand also created the first Korean Top 100 brand, Samsung, by introducing the brand value concept to the conglomerate and propelling it to the seventh most valuable brand ranking in the Best Global Brands table, worth over US $ 45 billion in 2015. 

HNB provides services in retail banking, corporate banking, international banking, treasury and project financing. In 2012 HNB become the first Sri Lankan bank to obtain an international credit rating and was assigned a foreign currency issuer rating of B1 on par with the sovereign rating by Moody’s Investors Service. The bank’s national long-term rating by Fitch Ratings (Lanka) Ltd is AA-(lka). HNB has been internationally recognized by the Asian Banker Magazine as the ‘Best Retail Bank in Sri Lanka’ on eight occasions from 2007 to 2012 and in 2015. The Banker Magazine of the UK named HNB as the Bank of the Year in 2012 and 2013.

Michel Nugawela Designs has branded and repositioned many of Sri Lanka’s most renowned and respected brands, including Aitken Spence PLC, Elephant House, Goodhope PLC, JAT Holdings, Keells Foods and Lion Lager. The brand consultancy brings over two decades of expertise in brand strategy and positioning, brand architecture, brand identity development, packaging design and brand engagement strategies across organisations that involve employees as brand assets, resulting in new mindsets and behaviours by individuals 
and teams.