Dulux has been named the UK’s most innovative brand by BrandZ, the largest global brand equity platform, in its second annual review. The 2018 BrandZ list places the paint brand ahead of names such as Dyson, Brewdog, Innocent and Sky, hailing its innovation in product development, its world leading colour expertise, its approach to sustainability and its commitment to new technology. Five specific developments were highlighter, including Dulux’s expertise in the art and science of colour, as represented by its annual Colour of the Year and ColourFutures™ 2019. The second was the brand’s pioneering stance on sustainability in moving appliers, specifiers and homeowners away from solvent-based paints by providing proactive education on the benefits of water-based formulas. The third development was Dulux’s commitment to technology to support homeowners, naming the Dulux Visualizer, specifically, for allowing any room to be ‘virtually’ decorated in any Dulux colour in an instant. Fourthly was the success of the Dulux Academy – launched in March 2017 and now in numerous locations UK-wide – in continuing to upskill the trade in new techniques such as spray and urban effects. Finally, the list also praised the brand’s dedication to quality, with the production of Dulux materials in the UK coming from the world’s most advanced and sustainable paint factory in Ashington, Northumberland, which opened in 2017. At the heart of the Dulux brand is our mission to add colour to people’s lives, because we know – when used effectively – it can be absolutely transformative,” said Kathryn Ledson, marketing director of Dulux. “Today’s accolade is testament to a UK-wide team of experts who work everyday to make a meaningful difference, ensuring we are continuously raising the bar when it comes the quality of our products, our leadership in colour and our commitment to cutting-edge consumer solutions. As a result of this tireless dedication to innovate, we ensure that – as a brand – our tools, services and expertise has the power to transform spaces and improve lives,” she added. All these innovations saw the brand value of Dulux, owned by Dutch paints and coatings company AkzoNobel, rise by almost a fifth (18%) year on year in the BrandZ list, which is run by advertising giant WPP, in association with market data group Kantar. This saw it place 50th overall in the list of the UK’s most valuable brands.