A more stable economic climate has helped lift the total value of Italy’s Top 40 brands by 6% year-on-year to $129 billion, according to the new Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Italian Brands 2026 report published today. This renewed momentum marks the strongest annual growth since the post-pandemic peak of 2022, signalling a cautious, but clear return of business and consumer confidence despite ongoing market challenges.
Enel has been crowned Italy’s Most Valuable Brand for the first time, with its brand value rising 17% to $18 billion and surpassing long-standing leader Gucci. Its performance reflects the momentum within the energy and utilities sector, where established players are expanding their portfolios to deliver more sustainable, consumer-focused solutions. Enel has worked consistently in renewable energy, which is delivering results and has expanded into adjacent sectors such as telecommunications, offering fibreoptic services to meet rising demand for connected, smart home experiences.
Gucci ($13.8bn) takes second place in this year’s BrandZ ranking, heading a luxury category that continues to face headwinds amid shifting consumer preferences and uncertainty across key international markets such as China and the US. Despite these pressures, Italy’s luxury sector remains a major value contributor: the six luxury brands featured in the ranking collectively generated $27.7 billion in brand value, accounting for 22% of the Top 40’s total.
Ferrari ($13.5bn) and Kinder ($8.9bn) retain their positions in third and fourth place, while Generali ($6bn) rounds out the Top 5 as the highest-ranked brand in the Financial Services category.
Renewed investor and consumer confidence, supported by a more stable economic environment, fuelled an exceptional year for the Financial Services category. The sector delivered over $23 billion in brand value, with five brands increasing their value by more than 40%. This momentum also brought fresh entrants into the ranking: BancoPosta (No.34; $912m), Monte dei Paschi di Siena (No.36; $851m) and BPER Banca (No.37; $828m), alongside Unipol’s ($805m) re-entry at No.38.
TeamSystem (No.18; $1.7bn) enters the ranking as the first Business Technology and Services Platforms brand to feature in Italy’s Top 40. As the country’s leading technology player, the company has built a strong reputation for innovation, particularly through advanced digital invoicing solutions embedded in a broad and integrated portfolio of business platforms. Through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions, TeamSystem has evolved into a major cloud and AI-driven services provider across Europe. Its debut underscores how investing in Meaningful Difference - meeting user needs while offering a different proposition within the category - can drive sustained brand equity growth.
BrandZ‘s Most Valuable Italian Brands ranking in 2026 points to a more positive outlook for businesses. After years of volatility, brands now have an opportunity to pause, reassess and prepare for future growth – even as challenges persist across markets. Resilience isn’t accidental: brands that are Meaningful and Different convert uncertainty into momentum, delivering stronger ROI, faster brand value growth, and real pricing power. Italy’s brand value is rising again, and the strongest brands are leading the way by fusing deep relevance with true differentiation.
As we move from hype to execution, AI is helping brands sharpen foresight, scale creativity and make smarter media decisions – not to create sameness, but to amplify what makes them truly different. These are the foundations of Meaningful Difference, and the drivers of long-term, sustainable value growth.
Kantar BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Italian Brands 2026
| Rank | Brand | Category | Brand value (USD M) |
| 1 | Enel | Utilities | 17,993 |
| 2 | Gucci | Luxury | 13,800 |
| 3 | Ferrari | Automotive | 13,530 |
| 4 | Kinder | Food & Beverages | 8,888 |
| 5 | Generali | Financial Services | 5,966 |
| 6 | TIM | Telecom Providers | 5,455 |
| 7 | Intensa Sanpaolo | Financial Services | 5,011 |
| 8 | Fendi | Luxury | 4,906 |
| 9 | UniCredit | Financial Services | 4,739 |
| 10 | Prada | Luxury | 4,516 |
Gambling for success
Highest-ranked newcomers, Sisal (No.14; $2.3bn) and Snai (No.16; $1.8bn) spearhead a new Gambling category for the first time this year. These brands are rapidly gaining consumers’ trust by enhancing the entertainment experience in a fun and engaging way.
The power of pricing
Analysis shows that strong brands have greater pricing power. No.32 brand, Lavazza ($997m) has grown its brand value 18% this year, proving that despite its premium pricing, it is a brand worth paying more for. Despite rising raw material costs and the added pressure of US tariffs, Lavazza has grown its customer base and maintained margins by reinforcing its reputation for superior coffee. It has continued to innovate through products like its Milk-Up machines and new package-free Tablì single-serve pods, while strengthening its commitment to sustainability and ethical supply chains.
A bold rebrand
Enilive ($800m) features at No.39 following the successful rebrand of Eni, the 70-year-old energy company. Positioned squarely in the growing sustainable mobility space, it brings together Eni’s biorefining expertise with a network of alternative-fuel filling stations, helping to shift consumer perceptions around low-carbon mobility. Its new identity retains the iconic six-legged dog while replacing the traditional blaze with a light blue ‘swoosh’, signalling a more modern, future-focused proposition. Coupled with high-profile initiatives such as its Serie A sponsorship, the brand is rapidly increasing its visibility and relevance among Italian consumers.
Luxury: navigating headwinds while building for the future
Heritage, craftmanship and global cultural influence are continuing to drive the Luxury category despite challenging headwinds. However, luxury brands must find a way to consistently convey Meaningful Difference rooted in local cultural contexts. Fendi (No.8; $4.9bn) is a stand‑out example, by pairing its rich legacy with innovation, tailoring its communications and product strategy to key markets through localised collaborations, immersive experiences, and omnichannel activation.
Italy’s luxury brands still hold significant aspirational power and remain well positioned to outperform when category demand rebounds. Looking ahead, growth will come from reinforcing distinctiveness, delivering richer experiential value and tailoring propositions to global market needs. Luxury brands that justify their premium through craftsmanship, storytelling and innovation will be best positioned to reignite demand.
Local Jewel
Outside the ranking, Mutti has emerged as a standout performer, demonstrating exceptional strength across all pillars of Kantar’s Meaningful Different and Salient (MDS) framework. The brand’s ability to consistently meet both the functional and emotional needs of consumers has cemented its position as one of Italy’s most trusted and preferred names in its category. Mutti’s high Future Power score further highlights its strong potential to drive future growth, reflecting the impact of its long-term strategic direction and sustained investment in brand building, innovation and quality.
The 2026 Kantar BrandZ Top 40 Most Valuable Italian Brands ranking, report and extensive analysis are now available at www.kantar.com/campaigns/brandz/italy
For a quick read on a brand’s performance compared to competitors in a specific category, Kantar’s free interactive tool, BrandSnapshot powered by BrandZ, provides intelligence on 15,000 brands. Find out more here.
