Technology companies have for the umpteenth time led BrandZ’s top 100 most valuable global brands ranking for 2019.
In the top 2 is Apple with $309.5 billion brand value, Google is in number 3 with $309 billion. Microsoft retained its 2018 position of number 4, while Visa climbed from 7 position in 2018 to the 5th with brand value of $177.9 billion. Facebook with brand value of $159 billion was in number 6. Tencent and AT& T were the other telecoms firms that made the first 10.
However, Amazon, a retail company climbed from 3 position to number one in 2019 with brand value of $316 billion. Amazon’s rise to first position ends the technology giants’ 12-year dominance of first position. Alibaba and McDonald were in number 7 and 9 positions with brand values of $131.2 billion and $130.3 billion, respectively.
Technology companies have led BrandZ’s Top 100 ever since its first global brand value ranking in 2006. The report said consumer technology brands pass the $1 trillion brand value mark.
The dominance of technology companies in BrandZ top 100 ranking reflects the rapidly changing, technology-driven world in which consumers are placing more value on richer brand experiences.
As other social media platforms face challenges in terms of trust and desirability, Instagram (No.44, $28.2bn), now with over 1 billion users worldwide, emerged as this year’s fastest riser climbing 47 places with a massive +95% growth in brand value
The report further said that despite the economic uncertainty surrounding the US and China trade tariffs, almost a third of a trillion dollars ($328 billion) of value was added to the BrandZ Top 100 Global ranking over the last year, giving it a combined brand value of $4.7 trillion – roughly the combined GDP of Spain, Korea and Russia.
David Roth, CEO of The Store WPP EMEA and Asia and Chairman of BrandZ, says: “The growth in value of this year’s top 100 brands to an all-time high proves the power of investing in brands to deliver superior shareholder value. Behind this headline growth figure lies the success coming from a new phenomenon of ecosystem brand building.
“We’re seeing a move from individual product and service brands to a new era of highly-disruptive ecosystems. Brands need to understand the value this type of model can create and should embrace its approach to be successful in the future.”
