25 years ago, on 1st April 1996, I launched Brand Finance to ‘Bridge the Gap Between Marketing and Finance’. I thought that the gap between the silos would progressively disappear as finance people learned the importance of marketing for driving growth and marketing people learned the need for financial accountability.

Progress has been made but the gap is still there and we are now working hard through our publications, rankings, forums and the Brand Finance Institute training programmes to narrow the gap. 

Over the last 25 years we have lived through four major recessions: 2001, when the dotcom bubble burst; 2009, when the Great Financial Crash washed over us; 2013, when the Euro caused a meltdown in Europe and in 2020, when the Covid Pandemic brought the world to a halt.

Brand Finance has been through many ups and downs but we have survived because we have always tried to lead our growing niche market. We claim to be the World's Leading Brand Valuation Consultancy. Over the last 25 years we have innovated continuously in our market place and we have transparently shared our innovations, knowledge and techniques to help grow the market, most obviously via ISO global standards on Brand Valuation and Brand Evaluation. 

Throughout the last 25 years we have always invested heavily in training and professionalising our staff, in research to bring greater insight to our work and in high profile marketing and communications. We practice what we preach to clients.

There has never been greater recognition of brands as assets and the need to manage them for value. We are poised for significant growth as CEOs and Boards wake up to the need to manage brands better.

I started Brand Finance in the spare bedroom in Teddington. We now operate from the Brand Exchange building in the heart of the City of London and in 25 cities worldwide. 

Over the last 25 years, many famous brands have disappeared or declined. Many new brands have emerged. Sectors have risen and fallen. Oil and gas brands are in decline while data- and technology-driven brands are booming. America and Europe are losing out to China and Asia.

But while there may be volatility, brands have never been more important for Nations, Companies, Products and Services. With a nudge from Brand Finance even Football teams and the Monarchy now recognise that they have valuable brands.