SEAT has been acknowledged as one of the fastest growing companies in the Best Spanish Brands 2017 ranking compiled every two years by Interbrand. The company came in on the list for the first time in 2015 in 25th position, and has risen to 22nd in the latest edition.
During the event, organised by the global brand consultancy Interbrand and held in Madrid, SEAT was recognized with the prize “Dimensions” for its performance as a Spanish company with consolidated growth and a clear commitment to the future to take the business to the next level.
In its seventh edition, this year’s report includes the 30 most valuable brands in Spain, with SEAT standing out as the only all-Spanish company in the automotive sector. In fact, with an 18% increase, it is one of the companies in the ranking that has grown the most, climbing three positions compared to the 2015 valuation.
According to SEAT Global Marketing Director Susanne Franz, “receiving this award is a recognition of the hard work and effort we are putting in at SEAT and of the unprecedented acceleration of the past two years, which has mainly been driven by our ambitious product offensive”.
The three key components of the Interbrand valuation criteria include the financial result of the products and services offered by the brand, the role the brand plays in customer decision-making and its strength compared to competitors.
Fifth consecutive year of growth
SEAT is the only company in the automotive sector included in the ranking.
With a total of close to 470,000 vehicles sold in 2017, which is 14.6% more than in 2016, SEAT is the only company which designs, develops, manufactures and sells vehicles in Spain. It currently represents nearly 1% of the country’s GDP and generates 100,000 direct and indirect jobs. In addition, SEAT is one of the fastest growing companies in Europe and this is its fifth consecutive year of sales growth.
Another major consideration for obtaining this recognition has been the unprecedented product offensive carried out by the company in recent years. The SEAT Ateca was launched in 2016, followed by the new Leon, Ibiza and the new Arona in 2017. The company will conclude this offensive in 2018 with a new SUV which seats up to seven passengers.
This comprehensive strategy was instrumental in enabling the company to obtain its best ever financial result in 2016, with an income of 8.597 billion euros and an operating profit of 143 million euros, the highest in its history.