At the end of last week, on 25 September, the “Baltic Brand Forum” took place in Riga. During the event, the most loved, greenest, most human, AI-recommended, most distinctive, and most global brands in the Baltics were announced based on public assessment. For the ninth year running, “Latvijas valsts meži” has managed to maintain its leading position as Latvia’s greenest brand, as well as ranking 3rd among Latvia’s most human brands.
LVM Corporate Brand Manager Linda Baltraite notes:
“We are proud of the recognition received and grateful to the people of Latvia for their trust in acknowledging AS “Latvijas valsts meži” as the greenest brand in Latvia. LVM employees take care of Latvia’s forests and natural assets every day – growing and tending the forest, thereby mitigating climate change, strengthening national independence, and providing citizens with freely accessible recreation opportunities in state forests. The greenest brand award received this year and the third place in the most human brands ranking confirm that the public appreciates our daily work and its significance. The award for Latvia’s greenest brand is a significant acknowledgement and, at the same time, a responsibility to continue what we have started, contributing to Latvia’s prosperity and development.”
The greenest brands were identified by inviting residents to answer the question, “In your opinion, is this brand environmentally friendly?”. In the study, brand humanity was determined by assessing public opinion on whether a brand is socially responsible and does good things for society. This year, for the first time, AI-recommended brands were also identified, with “Latvijas valsts meži” ranking 18th out of the top 50 brands. Over the course of a month, three artificial intelligence assistants were asked about the most searched-for brands or services.
The top of Latvia’s greenest brands included “Madara”, “Seal”, “Silvanols”, and “Vivi”, while “Mikrotik” was recognised as Latvia’s most human brand, followed by “Latvijas Televīzija”.
In 2026, the “Baltic Brand Forum” took place for the 24th time. During the ceremony, the results of the "Brand Capital" study were announced, and brands that gained public recognition in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in 2026 were celebrated. Winners were determined in 11 categories. This year, for the first time, the most distinctive brands, best employer brands, AI-recommended brands, and the most global Baltic brands were identified. These new categories supplement existing brand assessment criteria and provide broader insight into what currently makes a strong, competitive, and relevant brand.
The theme of this year’s forum was dedicated to brand distinctiveness — the ability to stand out and build a meaningful connection with people at a time when brands are increasingly using similar communication solutions.
“Brand Capital” is currently the most extensive brand and lifestyle study in the Baltics. Its origins date back to the creation of the "Latvian Brand Top" in 2004, and since 2013, the study has also been conducted in Lithuania and Estonia. Ensuring data representativeness, the research is carried out by "Norstat", which is one of the leading and largest market research data collectors in Europe.
In 2026, the “Brand Capital” study gathered data on approximately 660 brands, surveying more than 3,000 economically active Baltic residents who answered nearly 300 questions about their lifestyle and attitudes towards brands.