Best Brands was established in 2004 by the Serviceplan Group, NIQ, Seven.One Media, WirtschaftsWoche and the The German Brands Association (Markenverband). Since 2016 the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT has also been a partner of Best Brands, since 2018 RMS. Der Audiovermarkter and since 2020 Media Impact. WallDecaux will also be a partner from 2025.
Serviceplan – as the originator of the Best Brands format – holds everything together, coordinates the partners and in tandem with Seven.One Entertainment Group delivers the creative output for the events. Seven.One Entertainment Group is also responsible for staging a show worthy of Hollywood, NielsenIQ, as midwife for the Best Brands idea, developed the study design and also conducts the annual research on which the ranking is based, WirtschaftsWoche produces the special issue for the awards show and the German Brands Association represents the interests of the brands.
The Serviceplan Group is the largest independent, partner-managed and most broadly positioned agency group in Europe.
Founded in 1970 as a classic advertising agency, the Serviceplan Group has been bringing together all communication disciplines under one roof ever since:
from brand strategists, creatives, experience designers, marketing technology experts, CRM experts, data scientists, market researchers and PR consultants to sales specialists, everyone at the Serviceplan Group works together at the House of Communication – the only completely integrated agency model in Germany. The precisely coordinated interaction of a number of specialised agencies focused on Strategy & Consulting, Creative & Content, Platform & Technology and Media & Data makes the Serviceplan Group the leading agency group for innovative communication.
What connects us all is our passion for building and coaching fascinating brands. Brands that are economically successful and trigger emotions in the hearts and minds of the consumers — or in other words, BEST BRANDS. And this is achieved through innovative communication, which means finding new ways into consumers’ hearts with creativity, media and technology.
This vision of turning brands into BEST BRANDS is something we live and breathe here at the House of Communication on a daily basis.
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NielsenIQ (NIQ) is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behaviour and revealing new pathways to growth. In 2023, NIQ joined forces with GfK, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights – delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms – NIQ delivers the Full ViewTM of consumer behaviour around the globe.
NIQ is an Advent International portfolio company that operates in more than 100 markets and covers more than 90% of the world’s population. For further information, visit NIQ.com.
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Seven.One Media markets all content and platforms of ProSiebenSat.1, home to popular entertainment and infotainment. ProSiebenSat.1 is one of the leading entertainment providers in the German-speaking market and stands for top-quality entertainment. The company brings together 15 free-to-air and pay TV channels, the streaming platform Joyn, and its production, distribution and advertising businesses. Its goal is profitable growth and the creation of long-term value for all stakeholders: viewers, users, advertising clients, shareholders and employees alike. As part of the MFE Advertising network, Seven.One Media enables advertisers to reach 190 million people across Europe through TV, Connected TV and digital platforms.
In Germany, the brand industry generates a total brand revenue of just under 1.1 trillion euros and approximately 5.2 million jobs. Established in 1903 in Berlin, the Markenverband (German Brands Association) represents the interests of brand-oriented businesses in Germany as the umbrella organisation of the German brand economy. With around 300 members, it is the largest association of its kind in Europe.
Its members range from SMEs to large, globally operating corporations and come from a variety of sectors – from food, alcohol and tobacco to electronics, pharmaceuticals, fashion, consumer goods, telecommunications and cosmetics. The list includes leading brands like Abus, Beiersdorf, Hugo Boss, Coca-Cola, Gardena, Haribo, Henkel, Kärcher, Merz Consumer Care, Miele, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Ritter Sport, Rotkäppchen-Mumm, Unilever, Vileda and many other renowned companies.
As Germany’s leading business magazine, WirtschaftsWoche stands for modern, practical insights, in-depth economic analysis and a clear perspective on economic policy. It provides forward-looking, highly knowledgeable coverage of economic trends.
Think ahead. Move forward. This applies to personal finances, wealth building, buying property, career development, leading employees and making decisions for your own business. In addition to its magazine, website and app, the media brand offers a broad portfolio of special publications, newsletters, podcasts and events. WiWo’s design and storytelling have already won numerous awards.
In 2026, WirtschaftsWoche celebrated its 100th anniversary.
With a circulation of more than 600,000 copies and around two million readers per issue, DIE ZEIT is one of Germany’s best-known media brands. With approximately 9 million unique users per month, DIE ZEIT is also one of the country’s highest-reaching news platforms, distinguished by its analytical coverage of global events, sophisticated data visualizations, and innovative storytelling. The ZEIT Publishing Group’s journalistic portfolio also includes podcasts, social media channels, and video formats.
The ZEIT Publishing Group is a diversified media company. In addition to numerous print publications and an innovative digital portfolio, its activities include events, content marketing services, career guidance and professional development programs, digital job marketplaces, e-commerce, and travel offerings.
The ZEIT Publishing Group’s media brands are marketed by ZEIT Advise. As a creative partner and consultant, ZEIT Advise develops solutions for advertisers that effectively showcase brand messages within the journalistic environment of ZEIT media.
The future sounds good to us. Because the future is audio.
We create real connections with real people and help brands become more independent from the major digital platforms. At RMS, we are driving this dynamic and innovative market forward with passion, curiosity and a strong desire to shape its future.
With OneAudio, we combine the strengths of radio, digital audio and podcasts to create integrated solutions for modern brand communication. This allows brands to harness the full power of audio: reach, quality, technology and impact.
With expert advice, smart solutions and creative inspiration, we guide brands towards a future in which audio communication plays a key role in successful brand management. RMS makes brands heard. Everywhere.
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Germany's most effective marketer
At Media Impact, we are Germany's fastest and most creative customer advocates. Together with our co-operation partner Ad Alliance, we reach up to 90% of people living in Germany in print and digital.
As a marketer for Axel Springer and selected clients, we work passionately every day to offer our customers the best possible stage for their advertising message. To do this, we utilise the cross-media power of Axel Springer brands such as BILD, WELT and Business Insider. We combine this quality reach with intelligent technology and creative solutions to maximise our customers' advertising impact. Innovative event formats enhance our 360-degree marketing.
We see ourselves as a source of inspiration and staging experts, because we not only think cross-media and target group-specific, but also move people through emotional storytelling. Regional locations with close proximity to our customers, agile working methods and cross-functional team structures help us to be a speedboat rather than a tanker.
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As a premium out-of-home advertising provider, WallDecaux offers both traditional and digital advertising spaces in the urban centers of Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Düsseldorf and Cologne, as well as in 17 other cities across Germany. With its expertise in Programmatic Digital Out of Home, WallDecaux combines precise audience targeting with broad reach and continues to advance these innovations. This enables advertisers, agencies and brands to integrate out-of-home advertising efficiently into their marketing mix and measure its performance. Through the power of premium out-of-home advertising, WallDecaux creates brand experiences that stay with people.
WallDecaux is the sales brand of Wall GmbH and part of the JCDecaux Group, the global market leader in out-of-home advertising, with more than 1,000,000 advertising spaces in over 75 countries and around 11,850 employees.
