SINGAPORE Airlines is flying high as Singapore's leading brand, according to a recent study of the top 100 brands in the republic.

Calling it a 'shining global example of how to do branding right', consultancy Brand Finance lauded it for its commitment to branding, new technologies such as the A380 plane, and its strong service ethic.

'They're in an industry that has suffered huge structural problems and is making big losses, and yet they continue to invest in service, equipment, positioning needs and advertising,' said Mr David Haigh, group chief executive of Brand Finance.

'It's a model, and I think as we come out of the recession they'd be beating most of the world's airlines.'

Mr Haigh was speaking at the Brand Finance Forum on Tuesday held at Singapore Management University, which revealed the results of the company's annual Singapore's Top 100 Brands study.

It calculated brand strength over the past year by using a combination of market research, historical performance, Bloomberg data, Standard and Poor credit ratings, Institutional Brokers' Estimate System forecasts and panel opinions.

In second place came agri-business Wilmar, in third the Development Bank of Singapore, fourth Keppel Corporation and fifth was Asia Pacific Breweries.

All of the top five brands are at the same positions as last year's rankings.

The recession, noted Brand Finance, caused brands which appeal to basic needs and offer lower prices to fare better.

Retail and food brands such as Cold Storage, Petra Foods and F&N have climbed the ratings compared to last year.

Read the full report in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.