Brand Finance’s
Global 500 report, published last week, rated Google as the world’s most valuable brand, pushing Apple off the top spot, which it has held for the last five years. The report put Apple’s decline down to a lack of the big innovative leaps in new technology in recent years which had previously helped to build such a loyal customer following.
Whilst the figures attributed to the most valuable brands are remarkable, perhaps the most interesting part of the report looks at the world’s most powerful brands. These are the brands which, in the view of the report’s authors, are best managed and adding most value to their businesses proportionally, rather than being outright most valuable. That places Lego at the top of the list, citing its nostalgic appeal to generations of fans, as well as its successes in recent years with the Lego Movie and its forthcoming sequels. Other than Google, however, none of the top ten most powerful are also in the top ten most valuable. Whereas the ‘most valuable’ list is dominated by technology companies, the ‘most powerful’ list is much more diverse, featuring luxury brand Ferrari, as well as another children’s brand, Disney, and household products company Johnson & Johnson.
The report comments on the value of good legal protection for a brand, but also emphasises the value that can be added from other forms of good management, including consistent use and well-managed licensing. Stobbs has experience in advising on all these areas of brand management – do get in touch to start a conversation on how these could add value to your brand.
