Interbrand has released its Best Global Brands 2019 report (bestglobalbrands.com), the 20th edition of the world’s first brand valuation survey, showing that Apple, Google, and Amazon continue their success as the three most valuable brands worldwide.
The report also uncovered that the luxury and retail industry is still the fastest growing sector. Taking into account Interbrand’s unparalleled wealth of 20 years of brand valuation data, this year’s report examines the world’s most successful brands through the lens of Iconic Moves, focusing on the end of a traditional approach to brand positioning and industry leaders’ navigation of the rapid ongoing change among consumers and competitive landscapes.
“Twenty years on from our first report, customers today are more informed, more connected and more demanding than ever before through a combination of wealth of choice, erosion of loyalty and shifting frames of reference wanting immediacy, abundance and intimacy – all at the same time,” said Charles Trevail, global chief executive officer of Interbrand. “The age of brand positioning is over. In a world where customer expectations will continue to move faster than businesses, static brand positions and incremental change will just about keep brands in the game – but it will take, brave, we would say ‘iconic’, moves, to make brands leap ahead of customer expectations and ultimately deliver extraordinary business results.”
Tech Dominates Top 10
The technology sector continues to lead the Best Global Brand rankings in 2019. Tech companies account for half of the top 10 brands – Apple (#1, $234.24 billion), Google (#2, $167.71 billion), Amazon ($125.26 billion), Microsoft (#4, $108.85 billion) and Samsung (#6, $61.1 billion) – and show an average growth in brand value of 9%, tied for second behind only the luxury and retail sector. Dell (#63, $9.09 billion) returns to the rankings after a six-year absence, Uber (#87, $5.71 billion) and LinkedIn (#98, 4.84 billion) are all new entrants in this year’s list.
Facebook first entered the Best Global Brands report in 2012 at #69, seeing a steady stream of growth in the following five years. At its peak in 2017, Facebook was ranked at #8 with a brand value of $48.19 million. 2018 saw the brand’s place slip to #9, and after falling an additional 11.8 % in 2019, now sits at #14 with a brand value of $39.86 billion.
Rounding out the top 10 brands in this year’s report are: Coca-Cola #5 ($63,365 million), Toyota #7 ($56,246 million), Mercedes-Benz #8 ($50,832 million), and McDonald’s #9 $45,362 million), with Disney #10 ($44,352 million) returning to the Top 10.
Some Brands Continue to Impress in 2019, Others Remain Slow to Make Iconic Moves
The 20th edition of Interbrand’s annual brand valuation report features a series of individual sector reports, which delve deeper into the technology, luxury and retail, consumer packaged goods, media, automotive, travel, and financial services industries.
The top growing sector for 2019 was luxury with nine luxury brands making the top 100; this sector sees the highest average brand value growth rate year-over-year at 11%. The most successful brands in the luxury space are those that have adapted to rapid changes in the global marketplace, including catering to a younger consumer base whose stylistic tastes have shifted toward streetwear, who are tech-first in their purchasing habits, and who increasingly demand for shareable, memorable moments from any brick-and-mortar retail experiences.
Gucci (#33, $15.95 million) was emblematic of the luxury sector’s success, showing a 23 percent increase in brand value. Venerable brands Louis Vuitton (#17, $32.22 million) and Chanel (#22, $22.13 million) saw a 14% and an 11% increase, respectively, since last year’s report.
The top three fastest growing brands included Mastercard (25% increase), Salesforce (24%), and Amazon (24%).
Mastercard (#62, $9.4 billion) demonstrated the fastest growth of any brand this year, showing a 25% increase in brand value, jumping eight places in the rankings.
While MasterCard’s ascent has been fueled in part by its transition from purely a financial services provider to a technology-forward enterprise, it bucks an industry-wide trend toward stagnation. Financial services are broadly represented in this year’s rankings, with 12 brands representing $145 billion in brand value in the rankings, however, none of those brands reached the top 20. Many of the sector’s leading brands have been slow to embrace the disruptive forces of technology, even as Apple, Facebook and Google make bigger moves into financial services.
For the complete Top 100 ranking and the report with expansive analysis of growth, sector, and industry trends, visit www.bestglobalbrands.com.
Hotty Toddy Mic: Glenn Boyce is the Right Person as Ole Miss Chancellor
Despite protests and pushback on the new chancellor at the University of Mississippi, Glenn Boyce is the right person for the job.
While there seems to be misperceptions in the process, the Institutions for Higher Learning and an independent national search firm conducted a comprehensive and far-reaching search for the next chancellor at Mississippi’s flagship university. After an in-depth interview process, they determined Boyce was the most qualified and experienced candidate for the job.
His credentials are impressive: he is a well-respected leader in higher education, most recently serving as commissioner for higher education for the state before retiring about a year and a half ago. During his tenure Boyce guided the board of trustees of IHL on all higher education issues and provided oversight of the system’s eight public universities and academic medical center.
As commissioner of higher education, Boyce oversaw a university system that serves more than 95,000 students, with nearly 28,000 faculty and staff, 1,666 buildings with 36.7 million square feet, and a $4.5 billion operating budget. Under his leadership, the university system set record enrollments, awarded record numbers of degrees, launched a statewide program, “Complete to Compete,” to increase the number of degree holders in the state exponentially, worked to be more responsive to the needs of business and industry and streamlined operations to increase efficiencies.
Prior to his tenure as commissioner of higher education that began in 2015, Boyce served as associate commissioner of academic affairs for IHL. He joined IHL after serving as president of Holmes Community College for more than nine years
Boyce has been deeply engaged in promoting the economic and community advancement of Mississippi, having served on the state’s Workforce Investment Board and the regional boards of Central Mississippi Planning and Development District and the Three Rivers Planning and Development District.
A lifelong educator, he has extensive experience in leading educational institutions on both the secondary and post-secondary level. Under his leadership, Holmes reached the highest enrollment in school history, granted a record number of degrees, successfully launched the largest capitol campaign in school history and was instrumental in supporting the state’s efforts to build a labor force for the largest economic development project in Mississippi history, Nissan in Canton, Miss.
Boyce, his wife, Emily, and his three daughters graduated from Ole Miss.
Throughout his career, character, integrity, trustworthiness, academic and athletic expertise has guided him. This hope can inspire and take a proud institution to higher, greater levels.
Through all the noise and misperceptions, Boyce is striking the right messages, setting the right tone in articulating his vision and meeting with all the important stakeholders to move the university forward. He has resolve, and a real heart for students.
He recently sent a letter to the Ole Miss community expressing his honor and vision for the institution. Here’s how he closed:
“In the coming weeks, I plan to meet with students, faculty and staff from all corners of campus. Specifically, I want to hear your thoughts on what we need to bring our community together, and what we need to take our university to new heights. Working together, we can tackle any challenge we face.
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my alma matter – our university – as your chancellor.
It’s time to get to work.
Hotty Toddy! Go Rebels!”