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Apple remains world’s most valuable brand based on financial performance, influence, premium positioning

Interbrand’s annual report on the world’s most valuable brands sees Apple keep the top slot for the fifth consecutive year, ahead of Google and Microsoft. The top ten brands are rounded out by Coca Cola, Amazon, Samsung, Toyota, Facebook, Mercedes Benz and IBM.

Interbrand assesses the all-in value of a brand by analysing three factors …

  • The financial performance of the branded products and services
  • The role the brand plays in influencing customer choice
  • The strength the brand has to command a premium price or secure earnings for the company

Last year, Interbrand said that Apple’s ecosystem was key to the company’s value.

Analysts have often pointed out that “Apple has superior products.” While true, this opinion undersells the brilliance of Apple’s functionally- integrated model. Its software, hardware, and touchpoints are connected not just by beautiful design aesthetics, but by a level of interoperability that justifies the Apple premium and discourages defections to another platform.

It this year estimated that the value of the Apple brand had increased by 3%, relatively modest compared to the five fastest-growing brands.

The five Top Growing Brands include Facebook (48 percent growth) who leads for the second year running, Amazon (29 percent), Adobe (19 percent), Adidas (17 percent), and Starbucks (16 percent).

Interbrand put Apple’s value at $184B, well ahead of second-placed Google at $141B. It noted that tech firms make up 15 of the top 100 companies, just behind automotive at 16.

Apple of course regularly wins awards, recent ones including Best Paper at a prestigious machine learning conference, and a technical Emmy for Siri’s integration with Apple TV.

Chart: Business Insider


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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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