Apple, Google and Microsoft have topped Interbrand’s popular annual ranking of the Top 100 strongest global brands this year.
Apple and Google both saw single-digit percentage growth in the assessed value of their brands, which the brand consultancy rated at US$184.2 billion and US$141.7 billion, respectively. The two companies have topped the list for five consecutive years.
Interbrand determines its ranking with a proprietary index that assesses companies’ overall financial information and determines how their brand contributes to consumer purchase decisions and loyalty.
Microsoft earned a podium finish this year, displacing Coca-Cola in the third slot with a brand valuation of US$80 billion. Coke ranked forth at US$69.7 billion, with Amazon close behind at US$64.8 billion.
The top 10 has remained a stable grouping in recent years, with Samsung, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and IBM all returning from 2016. There is only one newcomer, Facebook, which saw its brand value increase the most from 2016’s Top 100 with a 48% jump to US$485.2 billion.
Tech brands account for 15% of the overall Top 100 ranking, outpaced only slightly by automotive companies at 16%. Toyota leads that field with a brand value of US$50.3 billion (although that figure is down 6% from last year).
Only one Canadian brand made the Top 100 listing: Thomson Reuters ranked 66th with a brand valuation of US$7.1 billion, an increase of 4% over last year. The full Top 100 ranking is below (click to expand).
