Telstra also becomes one of five Australian brands featured in this year's list with a brand value of $12.7bn
Apple is again the world’s most valuable global brand this year at US$247 billion, while Telstra has entered the top 100 list for the first time, the latest BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study reveals.
Apple took back the top spot after Google trumped the consumer electronics giant in last year’s list, reporting 67 per cent year-on-year brand growth in this year’s list. Google also grew by 9 per cent over the same period to reach a brand value of $173.7bn.
Microsoft took third place this year with a 28 per cent leap in brand value to $115.5bn, while IBM dipped back into fourth place after experiencing a 13 per cent decline in brand worth.
Five Australian brands were featured in the top 100 this year, up from four last year, including Telstra, which entered the list for the first time in 82nd position with a brand value of $12.7bn. Another strong performer was Westpac, which rose from 85th to 84th position with a value of $12.4bn.
Commonwealth Bank was still the strongest Australian performer overall but dipped four places to 48th position with a value of $20.6bn, while ANZ fell eight places to 59th with a value of $17.7bn. Woolworths also fell five places in this year’s list to 87th with a value of $11.8bn.
The tenth annual Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study was compiled by WPP and Millward Brown and is based on a combination of financial analysis and business performance, with measures of brand equity based on interviews with consumers globally.
The total brand value of the top 100 for 2015 reached $3.3 trillion, a 14 per cent increase on 2014. Across the board, technology remained the fastest growing brand category and represented more than $1 trillion in brand value this year, up 24 per cent.
Of particular note was Facebook, which nearly doubled the value of its brand in the past year thanks to its strategy of acquiring and integrating other social apps such as Instagram and WhatsApp, along with monetising and cross-selling its platforms, the list authors stated.
“Brand value has risen substantially despite a disruptive decade. This is a pivotal moment for brand builders. We’re at the threshold of a new normal, and a changing consumer,” commented WPP’s David Roth. According to the study, brand value has climbed 126 per cent over the past decade.
“The past 10 years of valuing brands proves that investing in creating strong, valuable brands delivers superior returns to shareholders.”
The top 10 brands by value
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