Interbrand has launched its Breakthrough Brands report, looking at the most interesting and innovative companies across Australia and New Zealand, with electric bike company, UBCO being the only brand from Aotearoa.
The Breakthrough Brands report featured cabin company Unyoked, beach shelter CoolCabanas, luggage brand July, Web3 gaming company Immutable, parcel delivery service, Sendle and disability and aged care platform Mable.
UBCO, now in its eighth year of business, is a leader in the electronic adventure vehicle (EAV) field, having worked alongside global giants and have gone overseas.
What started off as a vision to create a vehicle fit for different terrains whilst causing little impact on the environment, UBCO is now leading the way across the world.
UBCO being featured in the Interbrand Breakthrough Brands list puts the company alongside alumni such as Canva, NZ’s ModiBodi and more.
Interbrand Australia and New Zealand CEO Nathan Birch says the past year has been “tough” for brands to break through.
“But we know that extraordinary times reward bravery, not neutrality, and each brand on the list is a shining example of how to build a brand that doesn’t just sell things, but a brand that also shows leadership,” he adds.
Read more: From pizza to global stage – UBCO takes its bikes overseas
“The lesson here for other brands is to double down on brand leadership, especially through a recession. When incumbents choose to hunker down, there’s no better time for challengers to stand out through what they stand for. I know the start-ups of our region are up for the challenge.”
Phil Harrison, UBCO Chief Revenue Officer of Brand, Marketing and Sales says that being featured on the list this year, “of all years, means a lot to us”.
“Despite economic challenges, we’ve kept focused on the fact that the world’s hunger for adventure continues to grow – and our farming-origin bikes perfectly serve this need,” says Harrison.
Interbrand also revealed a “Ones to Watch” list, a brand of companies that they have pinned to keep a close eye on over the next 12 months.
New Zealand’s very own Hnry, an accounting platform to “alleviate accounting stress for sole traders” is the only NZ brand to make the “Ones to Watch” list.
“They have an opportunity to continue to make their mark locally and internationally and get closer to solving the gaps in the market they’ve identified,” adds Birch.
“Across both the Breakthrough Brands and Ones to Watch list, each brand empowers us to thrive in some way, helping us live well on individual, community, and global levels. Each show what it takes to build a brand through a pandemic, and in the face of a recession.”
