A survey of the 200 leading brands in Sweden has put Statoil in fifth place, after the Ikea furniture giant and McDonald's, Nokia and Volvo.
Carried out by the Vision newspaper, this study ranks as the largest ranking of brands in the Swedish market.
According to the jury, the winner's recipe for success is consistent brand building, a sustaining business idea and a large future potential.
Statoil's fifth place is attributed to its willingness to change and the clear message it sends to customers.
Vice president Patrik Westander in Retailing & Nordic Energy is pleased with the group's good ranking in the survey.
"Our brand is built above all through some hundred thousand customer contacts every day," he comments. "Our place is a fine recognition of all our employees who are in direct touch with the public."
The Swedish study is based on the view that brand image means everything in the modern marketplace, where competition is tough.
According the survey organiser, all brands need to build deeper relationships with consumers. At the same time, customers are becoming more critical and are switching increasingly from chain to chain.