Kantar names Apple as the first trillion-dollar brand

Apple is the world’s first trillion-dollar brand, according to the newly released Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands Report 2024.  It is the third consecutive year that Apple has topped this ranking.

“With its $1-trillion brand valuation, Apple has proved itself to be resilient in the face of testing market conditions, justifying premium prices and proving that meaningful, different and salient brands are best placed to weather global economic disruption,” says Martin Guerrieria, head of Kantar BrandZ.

“Our 2024 report reveals that strong brands continue to thrive despite global economic uncertainty. This year brands investing in AI are recording remarkable gains by reaping the benefits of enhanced customer experience. But effective marketing takes many forms, whether via great content, new innovations, effective media strategy, savvy pricing or more. Crucially, investment in effective marketing helps to improve consumer predisposition and to drive brand value growth, contributing significant dollar value to support sustained business success.”

Technology brands dominate the top four positions in the rankings. Apple is joined at the top of the ranking by Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

McDonald’s also retains its position in the top five, with its success bolstered by continued innovation, including its use of AI for scenarios such as dynamic menu boards and order prediction, demonstrating how nontech brands are also exploring AI to unlock growth.

Nvidia climbs 18 places to the No 6 position in the 2024 ranking, with a brand value increase of 178%. Facebook rejoins the Top 10 after a one-year absence, while Oracle joins the Top 10 for the first time. AI titans Adobe and AMD also made impressive gains, securing a spot among the Top 20 Risers, with brand value increases of 66% and 53% respectively. Instagram, Facebook and Uber showed resurgent growth. Together, these companies highlight how technological innovations can drive consumer engagement and accelerate growth.

This year’s BrandZ ranking underscores the resilience of top brands, with the total brand value of the Global Top 100 rebounding 20% to reach $8.3-trillion, close to the 2022 peak of $8.7-trillion. Since its launch in 2006, the brand value of the Global Top 100 has increased 474%. The threshold to join the Top 100 has increased 354%, from $4bn to $19bn.

Kantar BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Global Brands 2024

Throughout the 13 category rankings, notable shifts across various industry sectors spotlight a variety of attributes helping to drive brand equity:

• In the alcohol category, Corona has become the most valuable beer brand. Consistent acceleration of growth globally and tapping into growing markets like Brazil, China and South Africa while maintaining its stronghold in Mexico, have been key factors to its success.   
• In the apparel category, Nike retains its No 1 top brand position though the gap between competitors has narrowed. Zara’s 47% growth made it the second-biggest riser in terms of rank change in the Global Top 100, rising 24 places to No 70. Lululemon’s innovative approach to athleisure and commitment to quality delivered 24% brand value growth, lifting it into the Global Top 100 for the first time.
• In the luxury category, Louis Vuitton remains the most valuable brand, with a brand valuation of $130bn. Hermès has also excelled by enhancing its exclusivity and premium pricing, thriving in both US and Chinese markets, leading to a 23% growth in brand value.
• In the media & entertainment category, Netflix reached new heights, climbing to No 4 from No 6. Its 51%-increased brand value was driven by unprecedented subscriber growth as well as a password-sharing crackdown, highlighting the streaming service’s confidence in the strength of its customer predisposition.
• In the retail category, Amazon retains its position as the most valuable retail brand with brand value growth of 6%.

The Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands 2024 report, including the Global Top 100 and 13 category rankings and extensive analysis, are now available here. A quick read about a brand’s performance compared to competitors in a specific category is available here.

The big take-out: Strong brands continue to thrive despite global economic uncertainty.