As part of the 2015 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands report released yesterday (May 27), Apple has secured itself with the title of the most valuable brand.
According to the report, Apple increased its brand value to $247 billion, which is a 67 percent increase, year over year. That tops Google, which came in a No. 2 with a 9 percent value increase to $173.7 billion. Microsoft came in at No. 3, with a value growth of 28 percent to $115.5 billion.
“Apple continues to ‘own’ its category by innovating and leading the curve in a way that generates real benefits for consumers,” stated Doreen Wang, Millward Brown’s Global Head of BrandZ. “It meets their rational and emotional needs, and makes life easier in a fun and relevant way. Apple is clear on what it stands for, and never stops refreshing its message to sustain the difference that makes it so desirable.”
The value across all Top 100 brands also had a substantial increase, as the group as a whole saw a 14 percent increase to $3.3 trillion; that same ranking indicates the group has seen a 126 percent growth in 10 years.
“Brand value has risen substantially despite a disruptive decade,” said David Roth, CEO of The Store, WPP’s global retail practice. “This is a pivotal moment for brand builders. We’re at the threshold of a new normal, and a changing consumer. The past 10 years of valuing brands proves that investing in creating strong, valuable brands delivers superior returns to shareholders.”
The BrandZ ranking, now in its tenth year, uses a combination of measures that includes interviews with more than 3 million consumers around the world, analysis from the financial and business performance of the companies from data gathered by Bloomberg and Kantar Retail. The report also accounts for regional variations.
“Consumer perception of a brand is a key input in determining brand value because brands are a combination of business performance, product delivery, clarity of positioning, and leadership,” the report states.
Another notable ranking in the report also showed that Alibaba has overtaken Amazon in ranking. The Chinese eCommerce giant saw a 24 percent increase to $66.4 billion. Alibaba was highlighted as one of the most valuable retail brands, followed by Amazon and then Walmart. It’s worth pointing out that as the top retail brands, Alibaba and Amazon have no physical storefronts — whereas Walmart, with its 11,000 stores globally, comes in at third on the ranking.
“Alibaba has the most phenomenal bond with consumers,” Roth said in an interview. “It fulfills an amazing need. It’s seen as very entrepreneurial. Alibaba itself, as a brand, has enabled probably millions of Chinese consumers not only to be consumers, but [to] be entrepreneurs and start their own businesses.”
When looking at how brands compare around the globe, 14 Chinese brands are in the Top 100, and Europe has 24 top brands. The value of U.S. brands have increased by 137 percent in the past 10 years, topping Europe’s value growth of just 31 percent in the past 10 years.
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