KATHMANDU, AUGUST 12
Superbrands, the globally recognised independent authority on branding, has formally launched Superbrands Nepal, marking a significant new chapter for Nepal's business and branding landscape.
The introduction of Superbrands to Nepal will provide an international platform to identify, recognise and celebrate brands that have built exceptional levels of trust, relevance, quality, performance and consumer recognition.
To mark the occasion, The Himalayan Times, the local contact for Superbrands Nepal, hosted the Superbrands Nepal Cocktail Evening at Aloft Kathmandu Thamel, bringing together business leaders, brand custodians, members of the newly constituted Superbrands Nepal Council, and representatives of Superbrands Bangladesh.
Welcoming guests, Ravin Lama, Managing Director of The Himalayan Times, spoke about the relevance of Superbrands at a time when Nepal's business and consumer landscape is undergoing significant change. He highlighted the opportunity to recognise both established Nepali brands that have built considerable equity over generations and a new generation of businesses that are redefining their categories and increasingly looking beyond Nepal's borders.
Lama also acknowledged the members of the newly constituted Superbrands Nepal Council and thanked them for lending their experience, knowledge and independent judgement to the initiative.
The Superbrands Nepal Council will play an important role in the evaluation process, bringing together respected leaders and professionals with an understanding of Nepal's business and consumer landscape. Council members will evaluate brands against the established Superbrands criteria, helping to ensure the independence, integrity and credibility of the selection process.
The evening featured a Superbrands film followed by a presentation by Shariful Islam, Founder & Managing Director, Bangladesh Brand Forum; Chairman, Superbrands Bangladesh and Superbrands Nepal Licensee. Islam introduced guests to the Superbrands philosophy, its international presence, selection methodology and the value that independent brand recognition can bring to businesses, consumers and the wider market.
He emphasised that Superbrands goes beyond recognition. The platform also seeks to capture and share the knowledge, strategic thinking and stories behind exceptional brands, allowing the wider business community to learn from what makes them successful and enduring.
The presentation was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session with Shariful Islam and Sajid Mahbub, Group Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Brand Forum and Superbrands Nepal Licensee. The discussion gave business leaders an opportunity to explore the Superbrands selection process, the role of the independent Council, what it means to become a Superbrand and the potential significance of the programme for Nepal.
A message from Stephen P. Smith, CEO & Chairman of Superbrands Ltd., was also read out by Ravin Lama during the evening. Smith described Nepal as having remarkable brand heritage, creativity and entrepreneurial potential, and said Superbrands Nepal could help recognise and elevate brands that have earned trust and excellence while encouraging stronger benchmarks and greater confidence to compete globally.
Established in the United Kingdom in 1992, Superbrands has grown into an international platform for recognising outstanding brands across markets around the world. Its approach combines established evaluation criteria with independent market expertise to identify brands that demonstrate sustained excellence within their respective categories.
With the establishment of the Superbrands Nepal Council and the formal introduction of the programme, the next phase will focus on the evaluation and selection process. Superbrands Nepal will also seek to build a wider platform for sharing brand knowledge, experiences and insights that can contribute to Nepal's evolving business and branding ecosystem.
Nepal has a rich brand heritage, with businesses that have earned consumer loyalty over generations, alongside a growing new generation of entrepreneurial, digital and consumer brands. Superbrands Nepal provides an opportunity to celebrate that heritage, recognise the brands shaping the country today, and encourage the next generation of Nepali brands to build trust, raise standards and compete with confidence on a wider stage.