In this article, we collected the current information on the most valuable global brands as of December 31, 2018.
We should note that the concept of the brand is much narrower than that of a company; a company may possess several brands, for example: Google is a brand, and Alphabet is the company owning that brand.
So, let’s get started
1. Apple
• Brand value: $214.48 billion
• Annual revenue: $229.23 billion
• Average company salary: $121,000
• 5-year stock price change: +225.6 percent
In this year’s Interbrand ranking, Apple is far and away the leader, with brand value of $214.48 billion. Multiple brands have thrived in recent years by offering more luxury products. Apple, which is able to price its phones at nearly $1,000 and still sell millions every month, continues to dominate the premium end of the smartphone and technology markets.
2. Google
• Brand value: $155.50 billion
• Annual revenue: $110.86 billion
• Average company salary: $113,000
• 5-year stock price change: +128.6 percent
While Google trails Apple in brand value, the tech giant’s reach and impact on society is unrivaled. With little resistance from regulators, Google has over the years approached monopoly status in multiple markets. The world’s biggest video platform, YouTube, the world’s most widely adopted smartphone software, Android, and one of the world’s largest distributors of advertising, DoubleClick, are all owned by Google — to name just a few.
3. Amazon
• Brand value: $100.76 billion
• Annual revenue: $177.87 billion
• Average company salary: $100,000
• 5-year stock price change: +486.0 percent
Amazon is one of the world’s most valuable brands and also this year’s fastest growing, with brand value growth of 56 percent. According to Interbrand, in an increasingly service-driven economy, the top-performing brands continue to be those offering the best access to products and services. No company has adopted this approach more successfully or widely than Amazon.
4. Microsoft
• Brand value: $92.72 billion
• Annual revenue: $89.95 billion
• Average company salary: $117,000
• 5-year stock price change: +227.6 percent
U.S. giants dominate every corner of the tech sector, and each still has its niche. While Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon are the respective leaders in phones, search, social, and retail, Microsoft is the leader in software. The company, founded in 1975, is visible worldwide through its MSN brand and Windows operating system. Some estimates put the number of PCs with Windows at over 1 billion.
5. Coca-Cola
• Brand value: $66.34 billion
• Annual revenue: $35.41 billion
• Average company salary: $75,000
• 5-year stock price change: +23.4 percent
Coca-Cola is today one of the most popular beverages on the planet. According to its latest annual report, of the 60 billion servings of beverages consumed worldwide every day, Coca-Cola-owned brands accounted for about 2 billion.
6. Samsung
• Brand value: $59.89 billion
• Annual revenue: $211.40 billion
• Average company salary: $92,000
• 5-year stock price change: N/A
After Apple introduced its iPhone back in 2007, it appeared the company would come to completely dominate the phone market. But Korean company Samsung pushed back, and thanks to the success of products like the Galaxy phones, Samsung is actually now the global leader in smartphone sales as of the first quarter of 2018.
7. Toyota
• Brand value: $53.40 billion
• Annual revenue: $258.24 billion
• Average company salary: $92,000
• 5-year stock price change: -4.4 percent
Toyota is one of the largest and most successful automakers in the world, selling over 10 million vehicles each year. In the United States, the Japanese company has been able to rely on the popularity of long-running brands like the Camry and the Corolla.
8. Mercedes-Benz
• Brand value: $48.60 billion
• Annual revenue: $188.89 billion
• Average company salary: $71,000.
• 5-year stock price change: -4.22 percent
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The Mercedes-Benz brand has been around for over 90 years, but the company’s history goes back even further, to the earliest days of the automobile. Today, the German company is one of the most prestigious names in luxury automobiles, selling over 300,000 cars in the U.S. in 2017.
9. Facebook
• Brand value: $45.17 billion
• Annual revenue: $40.65 billion
• Average company salary: $117,000
• 5-year stock price change: +213.11 percent (Since IPO)
Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook is used all over the world. At last count, the company had over 2.2 billion users, or about 30 percent of the world’s population. Facebook has continued to ensure its success by purchasing social media and messaging companies like WhatsApp and Instagram.
10. McDonald’s
• Brand value: $43.42 billion
• Annual revenue: $22.82 billion
• Average company salary: $52,000
• 5-year stock price change: +75.96 percent
McDonald’s has maintained its dominance as the world’s most popular fast food chain for decades. While it has fine-tuned its menu to adjust for changing tastes, including adding salads and other healthier foods, as well as a popular line of coffee, the company’s success comes from its brand recognition and the popularity of the same items it has had on its menu for years. McDonald’s employs over 230,000 people worldwide.
– USAToday