BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Institute of Marketing in Malawi (IMM) has officially launched the Superbrand Awards a first of its kind, research-based awards program aimed at recognizing outstanding brands in Malawi that consistently outperform their competitors across various sectors.

The grand launch took place on Friday in Blantyre, attracting a cross-section of professionals from marketing, research, business, and media sectors.

Speaking during the launch, IMM President George Damson said the Superbrand Awards mark a significant departure from the traditional awards the Institute has presented in the past during its annual conferences.

“This awards process is entirely research based. Unlike our regular awards that are category based and rely on company submissions and a panel of judges, the Superbrand Awards rely on consumer feedback,” Damson said.

“This gives us deeper insight into how Malawians perceive the brands they use daily from the quality of service to customer satisfaction and overall relevance in their lives,” he added.

He further explained that the Superbrand Awards would involve a multi-sectoral panel drawn from reputable professional bodies including banking, insurance, engineering, retail, and more ensuring fairness and objectivity in recognizing Malawi’s most trusted and impactful brands.

Garaciano Bwanali, Head of Projects and Lead Consultant for Impact Research Center , the official research partner for the IMM Superbrand Awards emphasized the importance of credibility and methodology behind the awards process.

“As Impact Research, we were engaged to ensure scientific integrity in the data used to identify and reward Malawi’s top-performing brands,” said Bwanali.

“We have seen too many awards in this country lacking credibility organized by unknown individuals or entities with questionable standards. The Superbrand Awards are here to change that,”he added.

According to Bwanali, the research was conducted in phases, starting with consumer interviews across urban, peri-urban, and rural areas in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) segments.

The first phase focused on top-of-mind brand awareness collecting unprompted responses from consumers to identify which brands naturally come to mind first.

“We analyzed responses and shortlisted around 200 brands that scored highest in top of mind awareness. In the next phase, we are going back to the consumers to assess satisfaction levels for these brands — how happy they are with the services or products,” he explained.

The comprehensive research approach is expected to boost the credibility and prestige of the awards, setting a new benchmark for brand recognition in Malawi.