World’s Most Valuable Brands

Apple and Google retain the top positions on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands ranking for the second year in a row, with both exceeding $100 billion in brand value — the first time in the history of Best Global Brands that two brands have each exceeded $100 billion.

Apple (#1), valued at $118.9 billion, increased its brand value by 21%, while Google (#2), valued at $107.43 billion, increased its brand value by 15%.

“Apple and Google’s meteoric rise to more than $100 billion is truly a testament to the power of brand building.  These leading brands have reached new pinnacles — in terms of both their growth and in the history of Best Global Brands — by creating experiences that are seamless contextually relevant, and increasingly based around an overarching ecosystem of integrated products and services, both physical and digital.” said Jez Frampton, Interbrand’s Global Chief Executive Officer.

When determining the top 100 most valuable brands each year, Interbrand examines three key aspects that contribute to a brand’s value:

The financial performance of the branded product and service;

The role the brand pays in influencing customer choice; and

The strength the brand has to command a premium price or secure earnings for the company.

Top risers in 2014 inclue Facebook (#29, +86%), Audi (#45, +27%), Amazon (#15, +25%), Volkswagen (#31, +23%), and Nissan (#56, +23%).

There were also five new entrants to the list in 2014: DHL (#81), Land Rover (#91), FedEx (#92), Huawei (#94), and Hugo Boss (#97).

In 2014, the cumulative brand value of the automotive brands popping up on the Best Global Brands ranking increased 14.6%, with all 14 brands collectively making up a combined brand value of $211.9 billion.

This past year proved to be a record one, with three out of the five Top Risers coming from the automotive sector.

Included in this years top 14 automotive brands: Toyota (#8, +20%), Mercedes-Benz (#10, +8%), BMW (#11, +7%), Honda (#20, +17%), Volkswagen (#31, +23%), Ford (#39, +18%), Hyundai (#40, +16%), Audi (#45, +27%), Nissan (#56, +23%), Porsche (#60, +11%), Kia (#74, +15%), Chevrolet (#82, +10%), Harley-Davidson (#87, +13%), and Land Rover (#91, NEW).

Since 2004, Toyota has been the most valuable automotive brand on the Best Global Brands ranking and remains to be a commander in green technology development.

Overall, the technology sector leads as the most valuable category, with 13 out of the top100 brands this year hailing from this sector.

The category grew 11.3% year-over-year, and collectively is worth $493.2 billion in brand value.

Unsurprisingly, Facebook (#29, +86%), Apple (#1, +21%), and Google (#2, +15%) represent this year’s fastest growing brands, yet a number of one-time leaders experienced an abrupt decline in brand value.

Nokia, a Finnish communications and information technology developer, (#98, -44%) experienced the largest decline in value among the top 100 brands, falling from #57 in 2013 to #98 this year.

Nintendo (#100, -33%) had another difficult year, falling 33 places to take the #100 position this year with a brand value of $4.1 billion.

Possibly somewhat surprising, financial services brands experience growth in brand value, with all 11 financial services brands on this years list ranking increased in brand value: American Express (#23, +11%), HSBC (#33, +8%), J.P. Morgan (#35, +9%), Goldman Sachs (#47, +3%), Citi (#48, +10%), AXA (#53, +14%), Allianz (#55, +15%), Morgan Stanley (#63, +11%), Visa (#69, +10%), Santander (#75, +16%), and MasterCard (#88, +13%).

Both the biggest jump and biggest fall came from the technology sector, Facebook had the biggest jump while Nokia had the biggest fall.

While the composition of the top 10 remained largely the same as last year (with the rankings remaining intact among the top 6), McDonald’s dropped 2 spots to #9, while Intel dropped 3 spots and out of the top 10 (#12).

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