As the financial sector scrambles back to its feet after the catastrophic meltdown of 2008, an increasing gulf is emerging between how people perceive the institutions at the heart of the crisis and those that managed to avoid the direct line of fire.
After enjoying an indiscriminate industry-wide boost a year ago – the financial-institutions category rose more than any other in the 2010 BrandZ Top 100, making up for the sharp fall it suffered the year before that – the picture for banks this time around is far more mixed.
Institutions across fast-growing emerging markets – China and Brazil, for example – and other regions that have escaped largely unscathed from the financial crisis, have fared well.