Defying a broader industry slowdown, French super-luxe brand Hermès has delivered strong growth, making it the highest riser in the Kantar BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable French Brands 2025 ranking. Ranked 18th in BrandZ’s Global Top 100, the brand’s success is a study in brand building driven by its commitment to craftsmanship and the resulting appeal of its signature products.
The $10 million Birkin bag
As testimony to the allure of Hermès products, look no further than the Jane Birkin bag, the original of which recently sold in a Sotheby’s auction for a stunning $10 million. The creation of a chance encounter between British singer Jane Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas, the Birkin bag has become an iconic item in the Hermès product line.
Worth the wait
Like the original, each Birkin bag is handmade by one craftsperson. You cannot just walk into a store, not even a Hermès store, and buy a Birkin. Instead, the opportunity to purchase a Birkin is typically reserved for Hermès’ most loyal customers, who may earn the chance to place an order through a long-standing relationship with the brand. A new Birkin is reported to cost anywhere from $8,500 to almost $2 million depending on the style and materials.
The product is the brand
Thierry Hermès founded the eponymous company in 1837. It began as a workshop, making refined, made-to-measure riding gear for wealthy nobles. Success has seen the Hermès product portfolio expand over the decades, but the commitment to making items by hand remains. Former Hermès chairman Jean-Louis Dumas once succinctly described his company’s commitment to craftsmanship, saying,
"We don't have a policy of image; we have a policy of product."
The company’s single-minded pursuit of creating refined, artisanal products has created an image par excellence. An exploration of Kantar’s BrandSnapshot data, however, reveals that brand perceptions differ from country to country. For example, Hermès’ image is stronger in Mainland China than it is in its home country of France. Interestingly, this difference in status has more to do with the culture of the two countries than the brand itself.
A Star in China
In China, Hermès is perceived as strongly meaningful, different, and salient. Its status is that of a Star, a well-known brand much appreciated by luxury consumers. Hermès' strong reputation and the difficulty of acquiring its signature products justifies its price premium by giving the brand a symbolic appeal important to Chinese buyers. Luxury buyers in Japan and Hong Kong also hold the brand in high regard.
Familiar in France
By contrast, French luxury buyers appear less captivated by the Hermès brand. In France, Kantar’s BrandSnapshot finds Hermès to be familiar and well-liked, but not as differentiated or salient as other luxury brands. While French buyers value Hermès for its craftsmanship, quality, and timeless design, they view it within a broader landscape of esteemed luxury brands. This contributes to Hermès being perceived as less differentiated in France compared to China.
Slow branding
Culture and market maturity explain the difference between Hermès’ image in China and France, but elsewhere the brand is simply less well-known. Hermès eschews mainstream luxury brand marketing in favour of carefully curated sponsorship and associations with brands that share a similar commitment to craftsmanship. By turning its back on high-reach marketing tactics, the brand is less well-known in countries like Belgium, Australia, and Germany.
Enduring appeal
Hermès’ strong sales performance in 2024 can in part be attributed to its enduring appeal among a wealthy and loyal customer base. For example, this strength meant that its all-important leather goods and saddlery business grew by 16% in 2024, despite taking a 9% price increase. In China, where the luxury market declined by about 20% in 2024 according to Bain & Company’s China Luxury Report, the relative strength of the Hermès brand meant its sales held up well, while other luxury brands were hit harder.
The epitome of quiet luxury
Hermès has long embodied a subtle aesthetic, recognisable only to those in the know, making it perfectly positioned to benefit from the rising interest in quiet luxury. This trend, which gained mainstream momentum in 2023 following the HBO series Succession, reflects a shift away from overt displays of wealth toward understated elegance. The Roy family’s preference for refined, logo-free fashion sparked renewed appreciation for brands that signal status through craftsmanship rather than conspicuous branding. Hermès, with its heritage of restraint and refinement, didn’t need to adapt; it was already there.
A disciplined approach to growth
The story of how Hermès became one of the world’s most valuable brands is a powerful reminder that while marketing plays a vital role in accelerating growth and shaping perception, lasting brand value is built on more enduring foundations. Over time, a truly great product can speak for itself; it just takes more time.
Hermès’ success isn’t just about creating beautiful things. It’s about a long-term, disciplined commitment to craftsmanship, scarcity, and brand integrity. That commitment has created emotional resonance and lasting relevance, setting Hermès apart in a world of luxury too often driven by hype and celebrity. By staying true to its founding philosophy, Hermès has built not just a brand, but a legacy that is resilient, revered, and ready for the future.
What can we learn from Hermès’ success?
- Build your difference: Identify what sets your brand apart and amplify it consistently across every touchpoint
- Master the art of being timeless and timely: Stay culturally relevant while remaining true to your core values and brand positioning
- Don’t compromise on quality: Exceptional design and craftsmanship are essential to justify premium pricing and uphold the essence of luxury
Read more about Hermès' success in Kantar BrandZ’s global rankings in the full report available to download here.
Kantar BrandSnapshot is a free interactive tool powered by BrandZ’s wealth of data and validated Meaningful Different and Salient framework. Designed to give you a complete picture of brand equity in competitive context, BrandSnapshot delivers insights on over 15,000 brands in 40+ markets.
Make your brand the Birkin of its category. Explore BrandSnapshot on Kantar Marketplace for free today.
