BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands – Insight into the Major Trends in Global Branding

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The highly anticipated list of top 100  world-wide brands was recently announced in Millward Brown’s BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands Study.  More important than just the list, is the analysis and complete report in an accessible and browsable format.

The report’s authors made the following interesting broad observations from the data:

• Consumers are focusing on value in this era of belt tightening
• Emerging markets such as Africa, are increasingly important,
• Tech and Telecoms top the list
• Digital Dominates: “There’s never a magic wand. But digital comes close. Its power seems limited only by the creativity of thinkers and dreamers”
• Strong brands provide better shareholder value, and insulate in a tough economy:  “While the total return on investment (ROI) for all companies in the S&P500 index was just 2.3%, the BrandZ Portfolio provided a 36.3% ROI, proving that companies with strong brands are able to deliver better value to their shareholders”.

Facebook took the prize as “Fastest Growing Brand”, while Apple, IBM, Google, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Marlborough, AT&T, Verizon, and China Mobile made up the top ten brands in terms of value (I am picturing a coke drinking, big mac eating, smoking cowboy surfing Google on a 4G network).

This list is required reading for anyone wanting to understand the brands that are shaping culture, and the culture that is shaping brands.  From a trade-mark perspective, it the list is for the most part complete with strong marks, that have comprehensive portfolios and protection strategies in place.  From a branding perspective, I find their comments on brand personality thought provoking, and complete with pretty awesome charts.