Global Brand Value
Interbrand released the Best Global Brand ranking for this year on Oct. 9 (local time). Apple recorded the highest brand value in the world, followed by Samsung Electronics at seventh place and Hyundai Motor Company at 40th.
In the annual survey, which celebrated its 15th anniversary this year, the top 100 companies’ combined brand value reached 1.6 trillion won to show a 6.7 percent year-on-year growth. IT companies accounted for 30.8 percent of the total, with Apple and Google clinching the top and second-highest spots, respectively. Apple’s brand value increased 21 percent from US$98.3 billion to US$118.8 billion. Google’s increased by 15 percent from a year earlier to US$107 billion. They were followed by Coca Cola, IBM, and Microsoft, which maintained the same places as last year.
Samsung Electronics climbed a notch to seventh with a total brand value of US$45.5 billion. Thirteen IT companies joined the top 100 this year, and Samsung Electronics ranked fourth among them.
Hyundai Motor Company rose by three notches to the 40th. It gained 16 percent in brand value to reach US$10.4 billion. Kia Motors jumped from 83rd to 74th with its brand value going up by 15 percent to US$5.4 billion. Fourteen brands out of the 100 were automakers, 11 of which recorded double-digit growth. Among the carmakers, Toyota ranked first, Mercedes Benz ranked second, and BMW took the third spot. Hyundai was at seventh.
The highest rate of growth was posted by Facebook. Its year-on-year growth rate amounted to 86 percent, followed by those of Audi (27 percent) and Amazon (25 percent). In contrast, Nokia’s brand value dropped by 44 percent.
Out of the top 100, 54 were American companies, 11 were German, seven were French, and five were Japanese. Five U.K. corporations joined the list as well, and Korea, Switzerland, and the Netherlands put three each on the chart. Huawei ranked 94th, as the only Chinese company in the ranking.