Apple, Google, Amazon most valuable global brands: Interbrand report

Apple, Google, and Amazon are the three most valuable brands in Interbrand’s 2018 Best Global Brands report, with luxury and retail as the two dominant sectors. Now in its 19^th year, the report’s 2018 theme is Activating Brave, and examines the role that brand strength plays in the bold transformation of the world’s leading businesses. 

This year, the list features two new entrants and three re-entrants. Spotify joins at #92 ($5,176 million), and Subaru at #100 ($4,214 million) for the first time. Chanel re-enters at #23 ($20,005 million, last on in 2009). Hennessy also returns at #98 ($4,722 million, last on in 2009), and Nintendo at #99 ($4,696 million, last on in 2014). 

“A decade after the global financial crisis, the brands that are growing fastest are those that intuitively understand their customers and make brave iconic moves that delight and deliver in new ways,” said Charles Trevail, Global Chief Executive Officer of Interbrand. 

“The days of talking about why transformation is a business imperative are over. It’s now time to mobilize. How? By cutting through complexity and unlocking the inner strength of your brand to channel the confidence to make change happen. After all, being brave in the face of turbulence today is no longer optional; it’s the price of entry to even be in the game,” said Ashish Mishra, Managing Director, Interbrand India. 

For six consecutive years, Apple and Google hold the top positions. Apple’s brand value grew by 16 per cent to $214,480 million, and Google’s brand value by 10 per cent to $155,506 million. Amazon achieved 56 per cent growth and is the third brand to achieve a $100 billion brand valuation ($100,764 million), as well as the top performer among 28 brands with double-digit percent growth. Following Microsoft at #4 ($92,715 million), are Coca-Cola ($66,341 million), Samsung ($59,890 million), Toyota ($53,404 million), Mercedes-Benz ($48,601 million), Facebook ($45,168 million). McDonald’s ($43,417 million) returns to round out the Top 10. 

The five Top Growing Brands include Amazon (56 per cent growth), 2017 new entrant Netflix (45 per cent), Gucci (30 per cent), 2017 new entrant Salesforce.com (23 per cent), and Louis Vuitton (23 per cent). After five years as the Top Growing Brand, Facebook declines 6 per cent. 

More than half of the Best Global Brands came from five sectors: Automotive (16), Technology (13), Financial Services (12), Luxury (9), and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (9). Luxury is the new Top Growing Sector in percentage terms (42%), replacing Retail, which continues impressive growth at second (36%). Electronics is third (20%), Sporting Goods is fourth (13%), followed by Financial Services (10%). 

The combined total value of the Top 100 crosses the two trillion dollar threshold with $2,015,312 million, an increase of 7.7 per cent from 2017. 

Report and Methodology

Interbrand’s 19th annual report, Activating Brave, analyzes how the Best Global Brands are achieving bold transformation that drives lasting economic value through brand strength. 

There are three key pieces of analysis that form the basis of Interbrand’s valuation methodology:

• The financial performance of the branded products or services
• The role the brand plays in purchase decisions
• The brand’s competitive strength and its ability to create loyalty and, therefore, sustainable demand and profit into the future

This year Interbrand continued its partnership with Infegy for social media analysis.