• by Tanya Gazdik , October 4, 2018

For the sixth consecutive year, Apple and Google top the list of most valuable brands, according to Interbrand’s 2018 Best Global Brands Report, released today. 

Apple’s brand value grew by 16% to $214.480 billion, and Google’s brand value by 10% to $155.506 billion. Amazon, in third place, achieved 56% growth and is the third brand to achieve a 100 billion dollar brand valuation ($100.764), as well as the top performer among 28 brands with double-digit percent  growth.

The luxury category is the top growing segment (42%) followed by retail (36%). Electronics is third (20%), Sporting Goods is fourth (13%), followed by Financial Services (10%).

The report, in its 19th year, is calling the 2018 theme “Activating Brave.”

“A decade after the global financial crisis, the brands that are growing fastest are those that intuitively understand their customers and make brave, iconic moves that delight and deliver in new ways,” said Charles Trevail, global chief executive officer of Omincom Group’s Interbrand, in a release.

This year’s list features two new entrants and three re-entrants. Spotify joins at #92 ($5.176 billion), and Subaru at #100 ($4.214 billion) for the first time. Chanel re-enters at #23 ($20.005 billion, last on in 2009). Hennessy also returns at #98 ($4.722 billion, last on in 2009), and Nintendo at #99 ($4.696 billion, last on in 2014).

Microsoft came in fourth ($92.715 billion) followed by Coca-Cola ($66.341 billion), Samsung ($59.890 billion), Toyota ($53.404 billion), Mercedes-Benz ($48.601 billion), Facebook ($45.168 billion). McDonald’s ($43.417 billion) returns to round out the Top 10.

The five top-growing brands are, as noted Amazon (56% growth), 2017 new entrant Netflix (45%), Gucci (30%), 2017 new entrant Salesforce.com (23%), and Louis Vuitton (23%). After five years as the top-growing brand, Facebook declines 6%.

More than half of the Best Global Brands came from five sectors: Automotive (16), Technology (13), Financial Services (12), Luxury (9), and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (9).

The combined total value of the Top 100 crosses the two trillion dollar threshold to $2.015 trillion, an increase of 7.7% from 2017.