Special Report

50 Most Valuable Brands in the World

John Harrington

Published: June 6, 2017 1:28 pm

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 11:18 am

Google is the most valuable brand in the world, with a value of $245.6 billion, based on BrandZ’s annual listing of the most valuable brands in the world, according to a report published today by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown.

Technology companies dominated the top of the ranking, with four in the top five. Apple was second at $234.7 billion in brand value, followed by Microsoft ($139.3 billion). Facebook was ranked fifth with a value of $129.8 billion.

Amazon, which went public 20 years ago, ascended three ranks to the No. 4 spot. The retailer has a brand value of $139 billion.

Click here to see the 50 most valuable brands in the world.

Tencent, the Chinese internet portal, rose three ranks to jump into the top 10 at No. 8.

Adidas is the fastest-rising brand, increasing 58% in value, according to the BrandZ ranking, as consumers snapped up its retro sneakers and the brand made operational and marketing changes to bolster its U.S. business.

The top brands — Google and Apple — are worth more than the top 10 combined 12 years ago — $480 billion versus $409 billion.

Retail, the category most susceptible to business disruption, led the ranking in category value growth, climbing 14%, driven by e-commerce, with Amazon and Alibaba up 41% and 20%, respectively, in value.

Nine of the top companies are based in the U.S., and American brands now comprise 71% of the global top 100 value, partly because of the growth in the technology sector. Thirteen of the global top 100 brands are based in China, up from one brand 12 years ago.

The overall value of the BrandZ global top 100 rose 8% to $3.6 trillion, after increasing 3% from a year earlier.

BrandZ uses worldwide quantitative consumer research to rank global brands based on estimated value of the brand, rather than corporate operations. BrandZ’s valuation estimates cover 3 million consumers and 120,000 brands in 51 countries. Annual profit figures were obtained from each company’s most recent financial report. When a brand was part of a subsidiary, the net income and headquarters listed apply to that brand’s parent company. For non-U.S.-based companies, financial figures were converted to U.S. dollars.

Source: ntt.co.jp

50. NTT
> Brand value 2017: $20.2 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 3.0%
> Category: Telecom providers
> Annual profit: $9.0 billion
> Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan

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Source: Não / Wikimedia Commons

49. Huawei
> Brand value 2017: $20.4 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 9.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $5.3 billion
> Headquarters: Shenzhen, China

Source: Wikimedia Commons

48. HSBC
> Brand value 2017: $20.5 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 1.0%
> Category: Global banks
> Annual profit: $3.4 billion
> Headquarters: London, United Kingdom

Source: Henrickson / Wikimedia Commons

47. RBC
> Brand value 2017: $21.1 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 8.0%
> Category: Regional banks
> Annual profit: $7.8 billion
> Headquarters: Toronto, Canada

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

46. Oracle
> Brand value 2017: $21.4 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 10.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $8.9 billion
> Headquarters: Redwood City, California

Source: Wikimedia Commons

45. Subway
> Brand value 2017: $21.7 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 1.0%
> Category: Fast food
> Annual profit: N/A
> Headquarters: Milford, Connecticut

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

44. Intel
> Brand value 2017: $21.9 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 18.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $10.3 billion
> Headquarters: Santa Clara, California

Source: Wikimedia Commons

43. Movistar
> Brand value 2017: $22.0 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 0.0%
> Category: Telecom providers
> Annual profit (Telefonica): $4.6 billion
> Headquarters: Madrid, Spain

Source: twitter.com/pampers

42. Pampers
> Brand value 2017: $22.3 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -3.0%
> Category: Baby care
> Annual profit: $10.5 billion (Procter and Gamble)
> Headquarters: Cincinnati, Ohio

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

41. Hermes Paris
> Brand value 2017: $23.4 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 18.0%
> Category: Luxury
> Annual profit: $1.2 billion
> Headquarters: Paris, France

Source: Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

40. Mercedes-Benz
> Brand value 2017: $23.5 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 4.0%
> Category: Cars
> Annual profit: $9.9 billion
> Headquarters: Stuttgart, Germany

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

39. Baidu
> Brand value 2017: $23.6 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -19.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $1.7 billion
> Headquarters: Beijing, China

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Source: twitter.com/loreal

38. L’Oréal
> Brand value 2017: $23.9 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 2.0%
> Category: Personal care
> Annual profit: $3.5 billion
> Headquarters: Clichy, France

Source: Wikimedia Commons

37. Samsung
> Brand value 2017: $24.0 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 23.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $26.1 billion
> Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea

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Source: Thinkstock

36. American Express
> Brand value 2017: $24.2 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -9.0%
> Category: Payments
> Annual profit: $5.4 billion
> Headquarters: New York, New York

Source: www.bmwusa.com

35. BMW
> Brand value 2017: $24.6 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -8.0%
> Category: Cars
> Annual profit: $7.8 billion
> Headquarters: Munich, Germany

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

34. Zara
> Brand value 2017: $25.1 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 0.0%
> Category: Apparel
> Annual profit: $3.3 billion (Inditex)
> Headquarters: Arteixo, Spain

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Source: budweiser.com

33. Budweiser
> Brand value 2017: $27.0 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -3.0%
> Category: Beer
> Annual profit (AB Inbev): $3.8 billion
> Headquarters: Leuven, Belgium

Source: Wikimedia Commons

32. Accenture
> Brand value 2017: $27.2 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 19.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $4.4 billion
> Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland

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Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/walmartcorporate/

31. Walmart
> Brand value 2017: $27.9 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 2.0%
> Category: Retail
> Annual profit: $13.6 billion
> Headquarters: Bentonville, Ark.

Source: toyota.com

30. Toyota
> Brand value 2017: $28.7 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -3.0%
> Category: Cars
> Annual profit: $16.7 billion
> Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

29. Louis Vuitton
> Brand value 2017: $29.2 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 3.0%
> Category: Luxury
> Annual profit: $7.9 billion
> Headquarters: Paris, France

Source: Wikimedia Commons

28. ICBC
> Brand value 2017: $31.6 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -6.0%
> Category: Regional banks
> Annual profit: $41.1 billion
> Headquarters: Beijing, China

Source: Maksym Kozlenko / Wikimedia Commons

27. Vodafone
> Brand value 2017: $31.6 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -14.0%
> Category: Telecom providers
> Annual profit: -$2.2 billion
> Headquarters: Newbury, United Kingdom

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

26. Nike
> Brand value 2017: $34.2 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -9.0%
> Category: Apparel
> Annual profit: $3.8 billion
> Headquarters: Beaverton, Oregon

Source: Wikimedia Commons

25. T-Mobile
> Brand value 2017: $38.5 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 2.0%
> Category: Telecom providers
> Annual profit: $1.5 billion
> Headquarters: Bellevue, Washington

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Source: Ildar Sagdejev / Wikimedia Commons

24. The Home Depot
> Brand value 2017: $40.3 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 11.0%
> Category: Retail
> Annual profit: $8.0 billion
> Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia

Source: Wikimedia Commons

23. Xfinity
> Brand value 2017: $41.8 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 0.0%
> Category: Telecom providers
> Annual profit (Comcast): $9.0 billion
> Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Source: HAO XING / Wikimedia Commons

22. Starbucks
> Brand value 2017: $44.2 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 2.0%
> Category: Fast Food
> Annual profit: $2.8 billion
> Headquarters: Seattle, Washington

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

21. SAP
> Brand value 2017: $45.2 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 16.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $7.4 billion
> Headquarters: Walldorf, Germany

Source: Wikimedia Commons

20. MasterCard
> Brand value 2017: $49.9 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 8.0%
> Category: Payments
> Annual profit: $4.1 billion
> Headquarters: Purchase, New York

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Source: UpstateNYer / Wikimedia Commons

19. General Electric
> Brand value 2017: $50.2 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -7.0%
> Category: Conglomerate
> Annual profit: $8.5 billion
> Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts

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Source: YouTube

18. Disney
> Brand value 2017: $52.0 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 6.0%
> Category: Entertainment
> Annual profit: $9.8 billion
> Headquarters: Burbank, California

Source: Wikimedia Commons

17. China Mobile
> Brand value 2017: $56.5 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 1.0%
> Category: Telecom providers
> Annual profit: $17.0 billion
> Headquarters: Beijing, China

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

16. UPS
> Brand value 2017: $58.3 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 17.0%
> Category: Logistics
> Annual profit: $3.4 billion
> Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia

Source: Ken Teegardin / Wikimedia Commons

15. Wells Fargo
> Brand value 2017: $58.4 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 0.0%
> Category: Regional banks
> Annual profit: $21.9 billion
> Headquarters: San Francisco, California

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Source: alibabagroup.com

14. Alibaba Group
> Brand value 2017: $59.1 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 20.0%
> Category: Retail
> Annual profit: $11.1 billion
> Headquarters: Hong Kong, China

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

13. Coca-Cola
> Brand value 2017: $78.1 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -3.0%
> Category: Soft Drinks
> Annual profit: $6.6 billion
> Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia

Source: Wikimedia Commons

12. Marlboro
> Brand value 2017: $87.5 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 4.0%
> Category: Tobacco
> Annual profit (Philip Morris): $7.3 billion
> Headquarters: New York, New York

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

11. Verizon
> Brand value 2017: $89.3 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: -4.0%
> Category: Telecom providers
> Annual profit: $13.6 billion
> Headquarters: New York, New York

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dave_mcmt/

10. McDonald’s
> Brand value 2017: $97.7 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 10.0%
> Category: Fast Food
> Annual profit: $4.7 billion
> Headquarters: Oak Brook, Illinois

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Source: Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

9. IBM
> Brand value 2017: $102.1 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 18.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $11.9 billion
> Headquarters: Armonk, New York

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

8. Tencent
> Brand value 2017: $108.3 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 27.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $6.1 billion
> Headquarters: Shenzhen, China

Source: Wikimedia Commons

7. VISA
> Brand value 2017: $111.0 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 10.0%
> Category: Payments
> Annual profit: $6.0 billion
> Headquarters: San Francisco, California

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

6. AT&T
> Brand value 2017: $115.1 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 7.0%
> Category: Telecom providers
> Annual profit: $13.3 billion
> Headquarters: Dallas, Texas

Source: Wikimedia Commons

5. Facebook
> Brand value 2017: $129.8 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 27.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $10.2 billion
> Headquarters: Menlo Park, California

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

4. Amazon
> Brand value 2017: $139.3 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 41.0%
> Category: Retail
> Annual profit: $2.4 billion
> Headquarters: Seattle, Washington

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Source: microsoft.com

3. Microsoft
> Brand value 2017: $143.2 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 18.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $16.8 billion
> Headquarters: Redmond, Washington

Source: Wikimedia Commons

2. Apple
> Brand value 2017: $234.7 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 3.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit: $45.7 billion
> Headquarters: Cupertino, California

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

1. Google
> Brand value 2017: $245.6 billion
> Brand value % chg. 2016-2017: 7.0%
> Category: Technology
> Annual profit (Alphabet): $19.5 billion
> Headquarters: Mountain View, California