Berlin, Germany, June 23, 2022. In face of several prestigious competitors for the European Real Estate Brand Award, the leading European planning and consulting company Drees & Sommer SE came first in three categories and achieved several top ten places. In the Project Manager category, Drees & Sommer repeated its previous success and has now defended its title as Germany's strongest brand for over ten years in a row. In Austria, the company also leaped to the top position on the podium. Sandra Brand, Associate Partner and Head of Communication & Marketing at the Drees & Sommer Group, received a newly created award for excellent brand leadership in the European context when she was selected as the best CMO OF THE YEAR 2022 by the renowned European Real Estate Brand Institute. The awards were presented by moderator Barbara Schöneberger in the building of the German Bundestag in Berlin on June 21, 2022.
In addition to the two top places in the category Project Manager, Drees & Sommer also achieved excellent results in the brand ranking for the category Integrated Real Estate Manager. In a European comparison, the company took seventh place, and it ranks fifth in den Benelux countries. In Germany, Drees & Sommer came in closely after sector heavyweight CBRE, with one score difference.
From Project Steering to 360 Degree Consulting Services
For Sandra Brand, who has been responsible for brand management and strategic communication at Drees & Sommer for 18 years now, the ranking reflects the comprehensive growth and international development of the company. The company's positioning – from project steerer to an integrated services and consulting firm that supports clients in real estate and construction projects across sectors worldwide – has now become visible in the market: “Authenticity and honesty are necessary to support this change in the brand position and communicate the company's spirit and vision to the outside world. Our communication approach aims at convincing target groups, and not just informing them,” said Sandra Brand. The Group’s success confirms that she is right. The campaign to mark the company's 50th anniversary also featured in the list of the Strongest Campaigns. “The central goal of our all-round communication concept is to make the company's DNA tangible and to convey our enthusiasm for what we do – our purpose – to the outside world. We are committed to creating a world in which all future generations will still be willing and able to live. Instead of holding expensive celebrations for our 50th anniversary, we therefore decided to support fifty sustainable and social projects. And we communicated our intention in a major video campaign with our film Next Exit: The Blue Way,” explained Drees & Sommer’s brand and communication expert. For the unique storyline and realization, the film won several prizes, including at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards.
The international placings and awards bestowed by the European Real Estate Brand institute give Drees & Sommer valuable indicators for its future work on its brand position
About the Real Estate Brand Award
The Real Estate Brand Award is one of most prestigious prices which companies can obtain in the European real estate sector. The winners are decided on the basis of the largest brand value study of the real estate industry in Europe. By contrast with prices which are given by a jury, these awards are determined solely on the basis of the company's position in the market. In addition to the brand value, the strongest growth winners are ascertained by performance indicators in eight categories (brand strength, brand awareness, innovative power, digitization, relevant set, personal experience, regional competence und reuse intention). 1,500 corporate brands of 19 asset classes were analyzed for this year’s Real Estate Brand Award classifications. A total of 120,000 industry experts from 45 European markets were surveyed for the results.