Brand Finance‘s annual league table reveals the world’s most valuable brands, with last year’s top brand Wal-Mart slipping down to third and Google taking its place at number 1.
Brand value is an abstract quantity that is calculated using a patented formula by various firms. This list evaluates the royalty rate each brand would receive if leased to a third party.
Apple gained the most places, moving up twelve to come in at number 8. Coca-Cola dropped out of the top ten for the first time, losing thirteen places and going from 3rd to 16th.
Nine out of the top ten brands are from the US, the other being telecom company Vodafone from the UK.
Here is the list of the top ten brands:
#10 AT&T
2010 brand value: $26.5 billion
Emotional attachment: 0/5
AT&T’s brand value has increased significantly since its exclusive collaboration with Apple’s iPhone according to the report. They see the brand as “benefiting from the halo effect in associating with the Apple brand”. AT&T’s $39 billion acquistion of T-Mobile is likely to come under the microscope though since the deal would make it America’s largest wireless service carrier.
#9 Wells Fargo
2011 brand value: $28.9 billion
2010 brand value: $22 billion
Emotional attachment: 1/5
Well’s Fargo has seen its brand jump in recent years and is in part due to its 2009 acquisition of Wachovia and its ongoing expansion in the Mid-Atlantic. The bank also announced that it plans to increase its dividends, according to Reuters.
The report finds that “the reputation of Wells Fargo is likely to be considerably enhanced by the credit crunch, once the dust has settled and the US economy returns to growth.”
#8 Apple
2011 brand value: $29.5 billion
2010 brand value: $19.8 billion
Emotional attachment: 5/5
Though Google’s Android phones are threatening Apple’s market share of smart phones Brand Finance believes “Apple commands an unrivaled loyalty and affection within its sector”. Which is evident given Apple’s high rankings on emotional attachment compared to the rest of the brands on the list.
The company also ranked well on reliability, value for money and performance. However Apple has also been in the news over the health of CEO Steve Jobs and an ongoing antitrust lawsuit filed against the company over iTunes.
#7 GE
Emotional attachment: Received no votes
Though GE dropped a spot on this year’s list, Brand Finance believes the company is protected because of its international operations and presence in vastly different sectors which dilutes its risk portfolio.
GE has also done well recently with the U.S. Navy announcing that it would buy 68 engines for new F-18 Hornets for $246 Million. The icing on the cake? GE reported global profits of $14.2 billion.
#6 Bank of America
2011 brand value: $30.6 billion
2010 brand value: $26 billion
Emotional attachment: 2/5
Bank of America moved up 6 spots reflecting a marked jump in its brand value but users give it low ratings on performance, value for money and reliability. BoFA is struggling to win back shareholder confidence hit after the Fed vetoed its plans for dividend increase, according to Dealbook.
Goldman Sachs continues to have a buy rating for the financial services company but Wells Fargo took it off its Priority Stock List, according to the Wall Street Journal.
#5 Vodafone
2011 brand value: $30.7 billion
2010 brand value: $29 billion
Emotional attachment: 2/5
The only UK company to make the top 10, Vodafone’s brand value has gone up since it began offering its customers the cheapest iPad 2 deal. Vodafone’s position as title sponsor of the McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team has also won it some loyalty in recent years.
#4 IBM
2011 brand value: $36.2 billion
2010 brand value: $33.7 billion
Emotional attachment: Received no votes
IBM is holding firm at fourth place again this year, after its revenue increased 4% in 2010. The company is set on expanding and recently announced the launch of new tech services and is acquiring Nevada based Tririga as part of its Smarter Planets project. The company however recently agreed to $10 Million settlement with the SEC, without admitting guilt, on charges of bribing Chinese and South Korean officials.
#3 Wal-Mart
2011 brand value: $36.2 billion
2010 brand value: $41.3 billion
Emotional attachment: 2/5
Though Wal-Mart was ousted from the top spot, Brand Finance believes the company’s consumer centric approach drives its success which explains why it scored well on reliability and value for money.
The retailers board recently approved a 21% hike in its annual dividend but the brand itself is seeing its reputation hurt. The South African government has successfully delayed Wal-Mart’s $2.3 billion offer for a controlling stake in local retailer Massmart and Wal-Mart now faces the largest class-action sex discrimination lawsuit.
#2 Microsoft
2011 brand value: $42.8 billion
2010 brand value: $33.6 billion
Emotional attachment: 2/5
Though user’s don’t report much of an emotional attachment to Microsoft, it ranks highly on overall value for money and performance in Brand Finance’s report. Microsoft is also gaining search market share via the Bing /Yahoo! partnership. And online, it has also become the second most popular video streaming provider.
#1 Google
2011 brand value: $44.3 billion
2010 brand value: $36.2 billion
Emotional attachment: 4/5
Google received a perfect score on reliability and ranked highly on performance and value for money as well. It’s “doodles” are extremely popular as well. Moreover, the company’s Android mobiles beat global iPhone sales last year, with a jump from 1.7% of the smartphone market share in 2009 to 17.8% in 2Q 2010, according to the Financial Times.
Data on brand value and emotional attachment provided by Brand Finance
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