DBS tops Kantar's Southeast Asia brand ranking at $24.5B

DBS Group Holdings Ltd. has overtaken Bank Central Asia to become Southeast Asia's most valuable brand, according to Kantar's BrandZ ranking released Wednesday. The Singapore-based lender is valued at $24.5 billion, more than double its 2024 figure.

The top 30 brands in the region are collectively worth $165.3 billion, up 26% from two years ago. Eighteen brands grew, 16 at a double-digit clip, and four more than doubled their value. Kantar attributed the broad gains to strong consumer relevance and differentiation in increasingly competitive markets.

Financial services dominates the ranking, accounting for more than half of the total value in the top 30. Banking brands hold five of the top 10 positions. Telecommunications is the second-largest category, led by Thailand's AIS, while retail gains momentum through e-commerce platforms Shopee and Lazada.

DBS's growth is anchored in its positioning around sustainability and financial security, a strategy that has earned it recognition as Asia's safest bank for 17 consecutive years, Kantar said. The brand's proposition travels beyond Singapore, scaling across multiple markets.

The fastest-rising brand in the top 30 is POSB, Singapore's oldest bank, which jumped eight places to No. 13 with a value of $4.4 billion, up 126%. POSB's "Neighbours first, bankers second" purpose is reinforced through community-led initiatives and an AI-powered campaign that lets consumers interact with their future selves.