Best Icelandic Brands.
An annual award for the Icelandic brands that excel at strategic brand management, judged by an expert jury, validated by independent consumer research, and run by Brandr.
About BÍV
Awards for the brands that did the work.
Best Icelandic Brands recognizes the companies that treat the brand as a strategy. Positioning sits at the center: every winner has defined a clear position, then done the work to defend and deliver on it.
Process
The award rests on an academic and professional approach to brand management. Brandr created Best Icelandic Brands in 2020 with one aim: to raise the standard of brand work across Iceland by rewarding the companies that take it seriously.
Recognition
No brand scores itself. Recognition comes from three independent inputs: an expert jury of 25+ industry and academic specialists, the brand's own strategic submission, and an independent public survey run through Brandr's Viðhorfahópur panel. The brand that scores highest across all three wins its category
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Media
What makes a strong brand?
Fjölmiðlar
Recent podcast appearances
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The selection process
Seven steps, three
independent inputs.
Every winner is decided by three independent measurements rather than a single panel's verdict. The jury, the brand's strategic submission, and an independent public survey each feed the score, and a brand only wins when all three agree. That is what makes the result hard to argue with.
01
Open nominations
The public and the jury both put brands forward for the year's award.
How it works
Two nomination routes, open at once.
An expert jury drawn from Iceland's business and academic communities proposes a shortlist in each category, while the public puts forward the brands they felt stood out over the year. Running both routes together keeps the field wide and stops any single group from shaping the list on its own.
02
Verification & invitation
Brandr confirms who qualifies and invites each brand to take part.
How it works
Entry is active, not automatic.
Once nominations close, Brandr checks which brands qualify in each category and sends a formal invitation to compete. A brand has to accept and commit to the full evaluation before it moves forward, so every name in the running has chosen to be measured rather than simply been listed.
03
Brand presentation
Each brand submits its own account of the strategy behind it.
How it works
The brand makes its case in writing.
Every participant prepares a presentation setting out its positioning, its strategy, and the work behind both. This is the qualitative heart of the entry, the brand's own account of how it is managed, and it becomes the document the jury assesses later in the process.
04
Quantitative study
Every nominee is measured through Brandr Index.
How it works
A comparable score, not an opinion.
Alongside the presentation, each nominee runs a measurement wave through Brandr Index, scoring external brand perception across four research-backed dimensions. The result is a number that can be compared like for like across the field, and it stands as one of the three independent inputs that decide the outcome.
05
Public research
An independent public survey reads how Iceland sees each brand.
How it works
A verdict neither the brand nor the jury controls.
Brandr runs a separate study through its Viðhorfahópur panel, asking a representative sample of the Icelandic public about the nominated brands. This adds an outside reading to the score, one that no participant can shape, and forms the second measured input into the result.
06
Jury evaluation
The jury scores every presentation against one fixed sheet.
How it works
The same criteria for every brand.
The jury reviews each presentation against a standard evaluation sheet (matsblað), so a small brand with a sharp strategy is judged on the same terms as a large one with a bigger budget. The scores the jury returns form the third independent input, and this is where the strategic quality of the work is weighed directly.
07
Ceremony
The three inputs are combined, and the top brand in each category wins.
How it works
Three inputs, one final score.
The jury's scores, the quantitative studies, and the public research are weighed together, and the brand that ranks highest across all three wins its category. Because no single input can carry a win on its own, the result reflects strategy, measured perception, and public opinion at the same time. Winners are announced at a ceremony each year.
Categories
You compete
against brands like yours.
Business Market
The business market covers brands that sell to other companies rather than to the public, and it runs without a size split. In B2B, brand strength rests on reputation, trust, and long working relationships far more than on reach, which is why a small specialist firm and a large supplier are judged on the same terms here. What the category rewards is clarity: a brand that knows exactly what it stands for, who it serves, and why those businesses should choose it over an alternative. The strongest entries show that thinking holds steady across every touchpoint a business buyer meets, from the first sales conversation to long-term account work. A high score signals that the positioning is sound and consistently delivered, not just well presented on the day.
Consumer Market large
The consumer market is where brands sell directly to the public, and it is split by company size so that each brand competes against true peers. The large category is for companies with 50 or more employees, the established names with the reach and budget to shape how an entire market sees them. At that scale, the real question is not whether people recognize the brand, but whether that recognition has been built into a clearly managed position rather than left to familiarity alone. The brands that win here have turned size into strategy, holding a consistent meaning across every market they touch. A strong result is a sign that scale and discipline are working together rather than against each other.
Consumer Market small
The small consumer category is for companies with 49 or fewer employees that sell directly to the public. Splitting the consumer market by size is what keeps the comparison fair, because a smaller team rarely carries the media weight or the budget of a national brand, and measuring the two side by side would tell you more about spend than about brand work. The brands that stand out here earn it through sharper positioning, a clear sense of who they are for, and consistency over time rather than reach. That makes the small category one of the most telling in the awards, since it surfaces companies building real brand strength on limited resources, the ones whose work would otherwise sit in the shadow of far larger names. A strong result here usually means the fundamentals are right and the brand is ready to hold its position as it grows.
Workplace large
The workplace categories measure something the consumer categories cannot: the brand a company holds with its own people rather than its customers. A strong employer brand attracts talent, holds a clear strategy, earns the recommendation of the people who already work there, offers room to grow, and keeps the people it hires. The large category covers organizations of 50 or more, where the distance between what leadership says and what staff actually experience is hardest to manage and easiest to lose track of. Measuring it turns culture from something felt into something you can see and act on. A strong score is one of the clearest signals that the brand promised to the market and the brand lived inside the company are the same brand.
Workplace small
This is the same employer-brand measure applied to organizations with fewer than 50 people. In smaller teams, the employer brand is lived more directly, because culture passes person to person rather than through formal programs, and a single hire or departure can shift how the whole company feels. The category recognizes the smaller employers that turn that closeness into a real reason to join and stay, rather than leaving it to chance. It was introduced for the 2025 awards to give those organizations a field of their own, instead of measuring them against employers many times their size. A strong result here shows a culture that people would recommend, and a brand that holds together from the inside out.
Work
Panelists
The 2025/26 edition
The 2025/26 edition
The 6th annual Best Icelandic Brands. Submit your brand to compete — or nominate someone you think deserves recognition this year.
Ceremony
8 February 2026
Categories
5 categories
Format
Digital · Rafræn athöfn
Submission deadline
31 December 2025
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Past editions
Every winner since 2020.
Best Icelandic Brands has been running annually since 2020. Each year's category structure has evolved as the Icelandic market has matured. Select any year to expand the full nominee list.
BIV
2025
B2B
B2C 50+
B2C 49-
Workplace 50+
Workplace 49-
Persónubrandr
BÍV25
The nomination is given to brands that excel in strategic brand management.
The process is based on an academic and professional approach to brand management, with positioning as its focus.
53
NPS scores from nominated brands
96%
Of the selection committee members recommend being on the selection committee
110+
Outstanding individuals have served on the selection committee.
95%
Nominated brands trust brandr as a coordinator
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Committee
Selection Committee Comments
The strategic positioning we wrote was one sentence long: The rental brand built for the people who live here.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
I was impressed by how professionally the work around the jury was carried out — and felt the awards reflect a certain professionalism. An award like this raises the standard of marketing in the country and gives people the chance to think about brand for what it actually is, and to focus on what matters. To my mind, it's important, useful work.
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Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Íslandsstofa · Business Iceland
Nominees
Nominated in four categories
01
B2B
02
B2C 50+
03
B2C 49-
04
Workplace 50+
05
Workplace 49-
Committee
Selection Committee BÍV25
BIV
2024
B2B
B2C 50+
B2C 49-
Workplace
BÍV24
The nomination is given to brands that excel in strategic brand management.
The process is based on an academic and professional approach to brand management, with positioning as its focus.
53
NPS scores from nominated brands
96%
Of the selection committee members recommend being on the selection committee
110+
Outstanding individuals have served on the selection committee.
95%
of nominated brands trust Brandr as coordinator
Committee
Selection Committee Comments
The strategic positioning we wrote was one sentence long: The rental brand built for the people who live here.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
I was impressed by how professionally the work around the jury was carried out — and felt the awards reflect a certain professionalism. An award like this raises the standard of marketing in the country and gives people the chance to think about brand for what it actually is, and to focus on what matters. To my mind, it's important, useful work.
Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Íslandsstofa · Business Iceland
Nominees
Nominated in four categories
01
B2B
02
B2C 50+
03
B2C 49-
04
Workplace
Committee
Selection Committee BÍV24
BIV
2023
B2B
B2C 50+
B2C 49-
International brands
BÍV23
The nomination is given to brands that excel in strategic brand management.
The process is based on an academic and professional approach to brand management, with positioning as its focus.
53
NPS scores from nominated brands
96%
Of the selection committee members recommend being on the selection committee
110+
Outstanding individuals have served on the selection committee.
95%
of nominated brands trust Brandr as coordinator
Committee
Selection Committee Comments
The strategic positioning we wrote was one sentence long: The rental brand built for the people who live here.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
I was impressed by how professionally the work around the jury was carried out — and felt the awards reflect a certain professionalism. An award like this raises the standard of marketing in the country and gives people the chance to think about brand for what it actually is, and to focus on what matters. To my mind, it's important, useful work.
Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Íslandsstofa · Business Iceland
Nominees
Nominated in four categories
01
B2B
02
B2C 50+
03
B2C 49-
04
International brands
Committee
Selection Committee BÍV23
BIV
2022
B2B
B2C 50+
B2C 49-
International brands
Persónubrandr
BÍV22
The nomination is given to brands that excel in strategic brand management.
The process is based on an academic and professional approach to brand management, with positioning as its focus.
Committee
Selection Committee Comments
The strategic positioning we wrote was one sentence long: The rental brand built for the people who live here.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
I was impressed by how professionally the work around the jury was carried out — and felt the awards reflect a certain professionalism. An award like this raises the standard of marketing in the country and gives people the chance to think about brand for what it actually is, and to focus on what matters. To my mind, it's important, useful work.
Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Íslandsstofa · Business Iceland
Nominees
Nominated in four categories
01
B2B
02
B2C 50+
03
B2C 49-
04
International brands
Committee
Selection Committee BÍV22
BIV
2021
B2B 50+
B2B 49-
B2C 50+
B2C 49-
BÍV21
The nomination is given to brands that excel in strategic brand management.
The process is based on an academic and professional approach to brand management, with positioning as its focus.
Committee
Selection Committee Comments
The strategic positioning we wrote was one sentence long: The rental brand built for the people who live here.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
I was impressed by how professionally the work around the jury was carried out — and felt the awards reflect a certain professionalism. An award like this raises the standard of marketing in the country and gives people the chance to think about brand for what it actually is, and to focus on what matters. To my mind, it's important, useful work.
Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Íslandsstofa · Business Iceland
Nominees
Nominated in four categories
01
B2B 50+
02
B2B 49-
03
B2C 50+
04
B2C 49-
Committee
Selection Committee BÍV21
BIV
2020
B2B 50+
B2B 49-
B2C 50+
B2C 49-
BÍV20
The nomination is given to brands that excel in strategic brand management.
The process is based on an academic and professional approach to brand management, with positioning as its focus.
Committee
Selection Committee Comments
The strategic positioning we wrote was one sentence long: The rental brand built for the people who live here.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
That sentence did three useful things at once. It told Icelanders the brand was for them. It told tourists the brand was vetted by locals — a stronger trust signal than any rating system. And it gave the operations team a North star for every decision downstream: if it doesn't serve the people who live here, don't ship it.
I was impressed by how professionally the work around the jury was carried out — and felt the awards reflect a certain professionalism. An award like this raises the standard of marketing in the country and gives people the chance to think about brand for what it actually is, and to focus on what matters. To my mind, it's important, useful work.
Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Íslandsstofa · Business Iceland
Nominees
Nominated in four categories
01
B2B 50+
02
B2B 49-
03
B2C 50+
04
B2C 49-
Committee
Selection Committee BÍV20
For international partners
Bring BÍV to
your country.
Brandr partners with agencies and teams outside Iceland to run the awards in their own market. You get Brandr's methodology, judging framework, research-panel access, and brand assets, all adapted to your local language and category structure.
01
The full methodology
The seven-step selection process, jury evaluation framework, scoring matrix, and quality controls, handed over as a complete operations playbook.
01
Research infrastructure
Access to Brandr Index for measuring nominees, plus integration with a local research panel in your market.
01
Brand assets
The BÍV identity system, certificate designs, ceremony toolkit, jury platform, and a local-language adaptation guide.
01
Brandr support
Year-one onboarding from Brandr's founding team, plus jury training, quarterly check-ins, and access to the international partner network.
Visit our partner site to apply.
Licensing terms, market availability, year-one investment, and the application form are on the Brandr partner portal. Every market partner is vetted directly by Brandr.
Become a partner
Active in three markets
Where BÍV is
already running.
Three franchise partners are running localised versions of BÍV today. Each maintains brandr's core methodology while adapting the category structure, language, and ceremony format to local market conditions.
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Since 2022 · 3 editions
Norway
Beste Norske Varemerker
Run from Oslo by our first international franchise partner. Adapted to Norway's category structure — four tracks split by sector rather than company size — and integrated with Norway's national consumer panel.
48
Brands recognised
34
Jury members
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Since 2023 · 2 editions
Faroe Islands
Bestu Føroysku Vøruheitini
Tórshavn-based franchise serving a small but tightly connected market. Three categories instead of five — and a ceremony held in-person at the Nordic House. The first BÍV franchise to share the original Icelandic naming structure.
18
Brands recognised
16
Jury members
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Since 2024 · 1 edition
Estonia
Eesti Parimad Brändid
Tallinn-based franchise, the youngest in the network. Built around Estonia's tech-heavy economy — a dedicated SaaS & digital products category sits alongside the standard B2B/B2C
tracks. First edition celebrated in October 2025.
tracks. First edition celebrated in October 2025.
12
Brands recognised
22
Jury members
Take part
Compete this year, or bring it home.
Two ways to participate. Submit your brand to the Iceland awards before the December 31 deadline, or apply for an international franchise license to run BÍV in your own market.
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