Value of top 100 global brands’ increase, hit $4.4 tr

WPP’s marketing and brand consultancy firm, Kantar Millward Brown has valued top 100 global brands at $4.4 trillion, an increase of $750 million which is 21 per cent increase. The brands are dominated by European and Western countries. The first 10 brands list this year in Brandz ranking has 8 American brands.

Increasing use of data-driven, intelligence-led technologies – such as artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) – alongside creative marketing approaches has allowed many brands to build a more in-depth understanding of their customers and deliver convenience, personalised content and exceptional brand experiences.

Eight out of the top 10 are technology or tech-related brands. This category continues to dominate the rankings with Google and Apple retaining the number 1 and 2 spots, growing +23% to $302.1 billion and +28% to $300.6 billion respectively. Amazon moved into the third position ahead of Microsoft, growing +49% to $207.6 billion, while Tencent rose to 5 ahead of Facebook (no.6) growing +65% in brand value to $179 billion, up three places from last year’s ranking.

David Roth, WPP, says in a statement: “We’ve seen the biggest ever rise in brand value this year, driven by growth across all categories. Both new and established players have seen the payoff in being bold and adopting a long-term outlook towards brand-building.

“WPP’s own focus is on providing innovative approaches for our clients that combine data and technology with world-class creativity. Those companies that invest in intelligence-led marketing and back their brands with the power of creativity and ideas will be the winners in today’s world of innovation, disruption and change.”

“Despite economic and political uncertainty in many regions of the world, this year’s ranking shows its largest-ever annual increase in value – almost $750 billion (+21%). This gave the BrandZ Global Top 100 an overall total brand value of $4.4 trillion; up 204% over 12 years since it was first published in 2006. This is also the first year that all categories in the BrandZ Top 100 reported growth”.

The report said this was the first year non-US brands grew faster than US brands. Fourteen Chinese brands appear in the Top 100 ranking compared to just one (China Mobile) in 2006. The total value of China’s Top 10 grew year-on-year by +47%, more than double that of the US brands (+23%). Other parts of the world, such as India and Indonesia, are also showing strong regional growth. The BrandZ Top 100 included seven Asian brands (excluding China), which grew +14% giving them a total brand value of $146 billion.

Daniel Obi