NEW YORK – For the second year in a row, Apple and Google have claimed the top positions on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands ranking. Valued at USD $118.9 billion, Apple (#1) increased its brand value by 21 percent. Google (#2), valued at $107.43 billion, increased its brand value by 15 percent. For the first time in the history of Best Global Brands two global brands – not just one – have each earned a brand value that exceeds USD $100 billion.
Huawei (#94), the Chinese telecommunications and network equipment provider, also made history as the first Chinese company to appear on Interbrand’s ranking. With 65 percent of its revenue coming from outside of China and with its earnings continuing to climb both domestically and across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Huawei is quickly becoming one of the largest telecommunications equipment makers in the world. The company is currently the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world—just behind Samsung and Apple. The Chinese brand is one of five new entrants to enter the Best Global Brands ranking this year—the others being DHL (#81), Land Rover (#91), FedEx (#92), and Hugo Boss (#97).
“Apple and Google’s meteoric rise to more than USD $100 billion is truly a testament to the power of brand building,” said Jez Frampton, Interbrand’s Global Chief Executive Officer. 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.”
In determining the top 100 most valuable brands each year, Interbrand examined three key aspects:
• The financial performance of the branded product and service
• The role the brand plays in influencing customer choice
• The strength the brand has to command a premium price or secure earnings for the company
Facebook (#29) emerged as the top rising brand, marking the biggest increase in brand value with 86 percent. Other top risers include Audi (#45) with a 27 percent increase, Amazon (#15) with a 25 percent increase, Volkswagen (#31) with a 23 percent increase, and Nissan (#56) also with a 23 percent increase.
Along with Huawei, several other brands also entered the ranking for the first time this year: DHL (#81), FedEx (#92), Land Rover (#91), and Hugo Boss (#97).
Below are the top 100 Global Brands according to Interbrand:
