Technology brands most valuable globally


4 May 2010

The value of the Top 100 brands in the world now stands at US$2trn, up 40pc in the last five years, a new survey from Millward Brown suggests.

The fifth annual BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking – carried out by Millward Brown Optimor for WPP – reveals that Google is the most valuable brand in the world, worth US$114bn, up 14pc in the last year.

The valuation takes account of customers’ opinions on brands, as well analysing the financial and business performance of each company.  

Technology companies scored particularly well in the ranking, accounting for four of the five most valuable brands. IBM came in second at US$86bn, an increase of 30pc over 2009. In third place, Apple’s brand value grew by 32pc and is now estimated at US$83bn, while Microsoft took fourth place with a value of US$76bn. Facebook, meanwhile, entered the technology sector ranking for the first year with a brand value of US$5.5bn.

Budgeting for brand support

“In the past, many companies were quick to cut their marketing spend during a down economy,” said Joanna Seddon, CEO of Millward Brown Optimor. “A new trend has emerged in the wake of the recession as more companies realised the importance of maintaining and even increasing budgets to support brand loyalty and engagement.”

The first Indian brand, ICICI, entered the Top 100 at No 45. This is the first year that all members of the BRIC countries have been represented with new entrants from China, Russia and Brazil.

Millward Brown noted that the increase in the value of brands such as Samsung, which rose by 80pc, and Starbucks, which was up 17pc, was evidence that businesses with strong brands are able to recover from adversity faster.

“This ranking has elevated the importance of building brands among some of the world’s most successful companies,” said Eileen Campbell, global CEO of Millward Brown. “CEOs and CFOs around the world should be asking their brand and marketing teams how they can leverage brand to both protect and grow the business.”

Photo: The Top 10 most valuable brands in the BrandZ ranking

Article courtesy of Businessandleadership.com