Innovative brands rise up Interbrand’s rankings

Brands that continually innovate and place a high value on consumer opinion are the chief winners in Interbrand’s latest Best Global Brands survey, published last week (DW 29 July).

‘There’s a big story for companies at the forefront of innovation and customer service,’ says Interbrand chief executive Jez Frampton, citing Apple, Amazon, Yahoo!, Samsung and HSBC. All five brands, the biggest risers in the rankings, have seen their equity increase by between 15 and 24 per cent in the past year.

Most of the 24 technology brands in the survey saw their value grow, some spectacularly so. Apple rose by 24 per cent, Amazon by 22 per cent, Yahoo! by 17 per cent and Samsung by 16 per cent. But Microsoft, Nokia, Sony, Oracle, Nintendo, Philips and AOL all lost value. Nintendo, at -21 per cent, and Nokia and AOL, both at -18 per cent, took the biggest drubbing.

The survey’s nine, mostly American financial services brands delivered stellar performances across the board. The survey’s nine, primarily European, luxury brands also looked relatively healthy, while fast food took a beating.

The pharmaceuticals sector, populated entirely by American companies, also looked strong. Six of the nine brands in the survey saw their value increase by between 2 and 9 per cent. Only Merck and Kleenex struggled, losing 6 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively.

It was growth nearly all the way for the ten fmcg companies. Exceptions included Coca-Cola and Nescafé, both at -4 per cent, and Kraft, at -1 per cent. Kellogg’s, which grew 8 per cent, and Wrigley’s, which gained 7 per cent, led the pack.

The ten automotive brands in the survey recorded a mixed performance. Toyota’s value increased by 9 per cent, enabling it to surpass Ford and making it the number one car brand. Nissan also performed well: its value rose by 14 per cent. Ford lost a massive 15 per cent, trailed by Volkswagen, down 8 per cent, and Honda, down 5 per cent.

The clothing retail sector, which was dominated by US groups, but also included Germany’s Adidas, made a respectable showing too. Caterpillar and Nike topped the eight-strong list with 13 per cent growth each; while Levi’s suffered a 10 per cent loss.

Media companies also had mixed results. American brands such as Disney and Time lost 3 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively, while MTV gained 3 per cent, but was eclipsed by Britain’s Reuters, which rose by 12 per cent.

The survey’s nine new entries are drawn from every sector, but the vast majority are European. Germany’s Siemens was the highest entry, at number 39.Out of the Top 100

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