Apple takes top spot in ranking of best global brands

Tech dominates an annual ranking of the world’s top 100 brands.

For the ninth consecutive year, Apple took the top spot in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands report, followed by Amazon and Microsoft. Rounding out the top five are Google and Samsung. The top three brands make up 62.3% of the total value of the top ten brands and 33% of the total table value. (See list of top 25 brands at end of article.)

The average brand increased 10% in value in 2021, significantly larger than the 1.3% in 2020, which Interbrand attributed largely to the economic disruption caused by COVID-19.  Technology is the fastest-growing sector, with an average brand value change of 23% year-on-year. It is also the most valuable sector by average brand value, followed by beverages and sporting goods.

Together, the total list value of Interbrand’s top 100 brands is $2.67 trillion, which is 15% higher than last year and the biggest growth rate in the past 22 years of Interbrand's Best Global Brands.

Interbrand determines brand value according to three key components: the financial performance of the brand’s products or service; the role the brand plays in purchase decisions; and the brand’s competitive strength. The research covered the period between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

Sephora (#100) is the only new entrant to the rankings this year. Its addition makes owner LVMH Group the biggest group entity in the ranking.  LVMH is the first company to have five brands in the Best Global Brands table: Sephora, Louis Vuitton (#13), Dior (#77), Tiffany & Co. (#92) and Hennessy (#95).

Tesla (#14 in the ranking) was the fastest-growing brand of 2021, with an “unprecedented” 184% increase in brand value.  Tesla also saw the largest rise in rankings, moving 26 places up the table, closely followed by Salesforce.com (moving up 20 places to #38) and PayPal (moving up 18 places to #42).

Interbrand noted that the fastest-rising brands in this year’s report significantly outperformed other brands on three factors:

• Direction: The brands set a clear direction, ensuring that the entire organization knows where they are going, and are working towards the same ambition;
• Agility: The brands move fast, bringing new products and services to market and, where necessary, pivoting to address changing customer needs; and 
• Participation: The brands ultimately bring people on a journey with them and make them part of the movement to create an engaging brand world.

“Direction, agility and participation are three key themes we've seen driving brand growth over the past year,” said Charles Trevail, global CEO, Interbrand. “Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the constantly evolving business landscape, employee buy-in, adapting to change and a strong customer base have helped certain brands to thrive. It's worth calling out Tesla's growth over the past year — a three-figure increase in brand value is unprecedented in the past 22 years of Best Global Brands. Tesla is a brand that epitomizes the importance of brand direction, agility and participation, so I'm unsurprised Tesla made the biggest leap up the Best Global Brands ranking in 2021."

The top 25 best brands are below.

1. Apple

2. Amazon

3. Microsoft

4. Google

5. Samsung

6. Coca-Cola

7. Toyota

8. Mercedes-Benz

9. McDonald’s

10. Disney

11. Nike

12. BMW

13. Louis Vuitton

14. Tesla

15. Facebook

16. Cisco

17. Intel

18. IBM

19. Instagram

20. SAP

21. Adobe

22. Chanel

23. Hermes

24. J.P. Morgan

25. Honda

For the complete Top 100 ranking and report with comprehensive analysis of growth, sector, and industry trends and the full methodology, visit www.bestglobalbrands.com.