I always love to take a look at some of the world’s most valuable brands list, produced by Forbes every year… what they’re up to, what these super brands are focusing on, how they’re improving their brand and the customer experience, how they’re presenting their brand to the consumer and what’s changed over the twelve months.
The Forbes 100 Most Valuable Brands list for 2016 is interesting. The article talks about Apple’s dominance on the brand value front, all while revenue and growth has been coming to a crashing halt (I mean, we are talking about revenue of $50.6 billion here?!). The brand has dominated the ranking for six years straight. Go Apple.
Here’s a summary of the Top 25 Most Valuable brands for 2016, as listed by Forbes.
| Brand Value Rank | Company Name | Brand value ($) | 1 Year Change | Company Ad Spend ($) |
| 1 | Apple | 154,100,000,000 | 6% | 1,800,000,000 |
| 2 | 82,500,000,000 | 26% | 3,200,000,000 | |
| 3 | Microsoft | 75,200,000,000 | 9% | 1,900,000,000 |
| 4 | Coca cola | 58,500,000,000 | 4% | 4,000,000,000 |
| 5 | 52,600,000,000 | 44% | 281,000,000 | |
| 6 | Toyota | 42,100,000,000 | 11% | 3,600,000,000 |
| 7 | IBM | 41,400,000,000 | -17% | 1,300,000,000 |
| 8 | Disney | 39,500,000,000 | 14% | 2,600,000,000 |
| 9 | McDonalds | 39,100,000,000 | -1% | 719,000,000 |
| 10 | GE | 36,700,000,000 | -2% | Not available |
| 11 | Samsung | 36,100,000,000 | -5% | 3,300,000,000 |
| 12 | Amazon | 35,200,000,000 | 25% | 3,800,000,000 |
| 13 | AT&T | 32,600,000,000 | 12% | 3,600,000,000 |
| 14 | BMW | 28,800,000,000 | 4% | Not available |
| 15 | Cisco | 28,400,000,000 | 3% | 202,000,000 |
| 16 | Oracle | 28,000,000,000 | 4% | 55,000,000 |
| 17 | Intel | 27,700,000,000 | 7% | 1,800,000,000 |
| 18 | Nike | 27,500,000,000 | 5% | 3,200,000,000 |
| 19 | Louis Vuitton | 27,300,000,000 | -3% | 4,400,000,000 |
| 20 | Mercedes-Benz | 26,000,000,000 | 16% | Not available |
| 21 | Verizon | 25,800,000,000 | 5% | 2,700,000,000 |
| 22 | Walmart | 25,400,000,000 | 3% | 2,500,000,000 |
| 23 | Honda | 25,200,000,000 | 8% | Not available |
| 24 | AMEX | 24,300,000,000 | 4% | 3,100,000,000 |
| 25 | Budweiser | 23,400,000,000 | 5% | Not available |
I’m always interested though to see how else the data can be interpreted. So, I did a little number crunching with the top 25. If you look at the Company Advertising Spend, as a percentage of the total Brand Value – the list shifts significantly, with Oracle, Facebook and Cisco taking the top three positions.
| Brand Value Rank | Company Name | Brand Value ($) | 1 Year Change | Company Ad Spend ($) | % Ad Spend vs Brand Value |
| 16 | Oracle | 28,000,000,000 | 4% | 55,000,000 | 0.20% |
| 5 | 52,600,000,000 | 44% | 281,000,000 | 0.53% | |
| 15 | Cisco | 28,400,000,000 | 3% | 202,000,000 | 0.71% |
| 1 | Apple | 154,100,000,000 | 6% | 1,800,000,000 | 1.17% |
| 9 | McDonalds | 39,100,000,000 | -1% | 719,000,000 | 1.84% |
| 3 | Microsoft | 75,200,000,000 | 9% | 1,900,000,000 | 2.53% |
| 7 | IBM | 41,400,000,000 | -17% | 1,300,000,000 | 3.14% |
| 2 | 82,500,000,000 | 26% | 3,200,000,000 | 3.88% | |
| 17 | Intel | 27,700,000,000 | 7% | 1,800,000,000 | 6.50% |
| 8 | Disney | 39,500,000,000 | 14% | 2,600,000,000 | 6.58% |
| 4 | Coca cola | 58,500,000,000 | 4% | 4,000,000,000 | 6.84% |
| 6 | Toyota | 42,100,000,000 | 11% | 3,600,000,000 | 8.55% |
| 11 | Samsung | 36,100,000,000 | -5% | 3,300,000,000 | 9.14% |
| 22 | Walmart | 25,400,000,000 | 3% | 2,500,000,000 | 9.84% |
| 21 | Verizon | 25,800,000,000 | 5% | 2,700,000,000 | 10.47% |
| 12 | Amazon | 35,200,000,000 | 25% | 3,800,000,000 | 10.80% |
| 13 | AT&T | 32,600,000,000 | 12% | 3,600,000,000 | 11.04% |
| 18 | Nike | 27,500,000,000 | 5% | 3,200,000,000 | 11.64% |
| 24 | AMEX | 24,300,000,000 | 4% | 3,100,000,000 | 12.76% |
| 19 | Louis Vuitton | 27,300,000,000 | -3% | 4,400,000,000 | 16.12% |
| 10 | GE | 36,700,000,000 | -2% | Not available | |
| 14 | BMW | 28,800,000,000 | 4% | Not available | |
| 20 | Mercedes-Benz | 26,000,000,000 | 16% | Not available | |
| 23 | Honda | 25,200,000,000 | 8% | Not available | |
| 25 | Budweiser | 23,400,000,000 | 5% | Not available |
So what do you think Oracle, Facebook and Cisco doing to get better bang for their buck? They’re spending significantly less (as a percentage of their total brand value) on advertising – in fact all less than one percent – with Facebook gaining a massive 44 percent increase in value in one year alone…
What does it say about the advertising investment needed for B2B brands verses B2C, when ultimately, the top three are all focused on B2B?
What’s in store for Louis Vuitton in 2016/2017? Spending over 16 percent of its brand value on advertising? Or is that what happens when you’re a B2C brand? How do other luxury retail brands compare? It’s the only brand within it’s category to make the list – so that’s a good thing, no?
It’s all in the interpretation of the data.
How do you see it? Who do you think lands on top? I say this, typing onto my MacBook Air, with two apple keyboards and an iMac, an iPhone and an iPad all within reaching distance…
Let me know what you think!
Jacqui
The Measured Marketer
