50 Most Valuable Brands in the World

Samsung is one of just five brands in the world worth over $100 billion — and the only one located outside of the U.S. The major tech company produces microchips, phones, TVs, appliances, cameras, medical devices, and more.

Like some other tech companies, Samsung’s business benefited from COVID-19, as many purchased computers and other devices to work from home. Samsung’s brand value increased by 8.6%, or more than $8 billion.

Microsoft is one of the most valuable and well-known brands in the world. Among Microsoft’s enormous portfolio, it produces software, gaming consoles, computers, cloud computing services, operating systems, and much more.

Like many other major tech companies, Microsoft got a boost to its business from the COVID-19 pandemic as many companies and individuals transitioned to working from home. Its brand value increased by 20% from 2020 to 2021, making it one of the fastest growing brands on this list.

While the value of other large technology brands like Microsoft and Apple soared in 2020, Google’s value increased by a relatively modest 1.4%, or $2.7 billion. Google’s array of services and products is not nearly as diverse as some of its competitors.

Google is by far the leading search engine. With an 86% market share worldwide according to Statista, it is one of the most valuable brands in the world. However, this model relies on advertising, and with many companies spending far less on advertising during the pandemic, Google reported its first ever decline in revenue.

After dethroning Walmart as the world’s most valuable retailer brand in 2019, Amazon’s e-commerce business experienced a huge boom when COVID-19 prompted many consumers to order goods online from their home as opposed to going out to buy them. Amazon’s stock price has nearly doubled from March 2020 to May 2021, and its brand value has increased by tens of billions.

Though Amazon lost its spot as the world’s most valuable brand in 2021, it still ranks as one of the fastest growing major brands in the world. Its value increased by more than 15%. This is a continuation of Amazon’s rapid ascent. It was valued at $28.7 billion in 2012, which then ranked ninth in the world.

Apple leapfrogged Amazon and Google to become the world’s most valuable brand in 2021. Its value spiked by more than 87% — amounting to a nearly $123 billion increase — to over $263 billion. Only two other brands increased in value so dramatically over the past year.

Apple’s revenue broke records in 2020 as people purchased more iPads and Mac computers to use while working from home. The company also debuted its new M1 chip, which seems to have increased demand from consumers for new products with that chip. Though Apple’s stock price dipped to $57 in March 2020 , it quickly rebounded and recently traded at over $126 per share, as of May 2021. In the fourth quarter of 2020, Apple shipped more cell phones than any of its competitors for the first time since 2016.