Leading banks in Italy 2018, by brand value

In 2018, Intesa Sanpaolo was the leading Italian bank in a global ranking, in terms of brand value. The bank’s brand value was estimated at 5.1 billion dollars, which represented an increase of approximately 12 percent compared to the previous year. The top 10 of the ranking, published by Brand Finance, was dominated by major Chinese and American banks with the only exception for HSBC (UK).

Among the leading banks in Europe

Established in 2007 through the merger between Banca Intesa and Gruppo Sanpaolo IMI, Intesa Sanpaolo has become the largest bank in Italy. Moreover, thanks to a strong international presence, in particular in Central Eastern Europe, Intesa Sanpaolo has grown to become one of the most important banks in Europe. It ranked seventh in a list of the leading banks in Europe in terms of market capitalization. Also, Intesa Sanpaolo was among the banks with the largest asset value in the Continent.

Bank branches still matter

Despite declining in number, surveys showed that bank branches are still necessary when it comes to certain services and financial products. Intesa Sanpaolo could not avoid this trend of closing physical branches in favor of a more digital approach and presence. However, the bank still boasted a total of 6.3 thousand branches worldwide, of which more than one thousand outside of Italy.