Google usurps Apple as world's most valuable brand name, report says
After sitting in the top spot for three years, Apple has been overthrown thanks to Google's innovation over the past year, says one market research firm that compiles an annual list of top worldwide brands.
The latest results from research agency Millward Brown's 2014 100 Top BrandZ report says Google out-innovated Apple with its various "Google X" initiatives like Project Loon and contacts that measure glucose levels for diabetics. This year's Top BrandZ report was first spotted by Business Insider.
"Google has been extremely innovative this year with Google Glass, investments in artificial intelligence and a range of partnerships," said Benoit Tranzer, regional managing director of Millward Brown Europe. "All these activities send a very strong signal to consumers about the essence of Google."
According to the firm's estimates, Google's brand value jumped 40 percent over the past year to $158.84 billion, or 115 billion euros.
By comparison, Apple dropped in brand value by 20 percent to $147.88 billion after leading the BrandZ list since 2011. In 2013's list, Apple's growth slowed down to one percent year-over-year, but ended up having a huge $71.4 billion gap over then second-place Google.
Following Google and Apple this year were IBM at $107.54 billion, Microsoft at $90.19 billion and McDonald's at $85.71 billion. Coca Cola, Visa, AT&T, Marlboro and Amazon.com rounded out the top-ten.
The BrandZ methodology calculates a company's financial value and brand contribution, which is qualified as an assessment of a brand's "uniqueness and its ability to stand out from the crowd, generate desire and cultivate loyalty."
The latest results from research agency Millward Brown's 2014 100 Top BrandZ report says Google out-innovated Apple with its various "Google X" initiatives like Project Loon and contacts that measure glucose levels for diabetics. This year's Top BrandZ report was first spotted by Business Insider.
"Google has been extremely innovative this year with Google Glass, investments in artificial intelligence and a range of partnerships," said Benoit Tranzer, regional managing director of Millward Brown Europe. "All these activities send a very strong signal to consumers about the essence of Google."
According to the firm's estimates, Google's brand value jumped 40 percent over the past year to $158.84 billion, or 115 billion euros.
By comparison, Apple dropped in brand value by 20 percent to $147.88 billion after leading the BrandZ list since 2011. In 2013's list, Apple's growth slowed down to one percent year-over-year, but ended up having a huge $71.4 billion gap over then second-place Google.
Following Google and Apple this year were IBM at $107.54 billion, Microsoft at $90.19 billion and McDonald's at $85.71 billion. Coca Cola, Visa, AT&T, Marlboro and Amazon.com rounded out the top-ten.
The BrandZ methodology calculates a company's financial value and brand contribution, which is qualified as an assessment of a brand's "uniqueness and its ability to stand out from the crowd, generate desire and cultivate loyalty."
Comments
Congratulations! Are any of those X projects finished, polished products you can buy? Or are they just PR-half-assery like the James Bond jetpack to impress the media?
Oh geesh. Cue up the gnashing of teeth.
4 out of 5 dentists don't recommend that.
That doesn't stop 4 out of 5 AI members from doing it.
Oh geesh. Cue up the gnashing of teeth.
BS makes the world go round.
I just saw a story in the London Telegraph newspaper that Apple has fallen out or the top 10 in a survey of favorite retailers. Last year they topped the list. I saw another story that Samsung overtook Apple in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) for smartphones. Apple has topped this list for at least the past 3 years.
This is what happens when you go silent for 6+ months at a time. You basically create a vacuum, a void that others fill. You allow someone else to create the narrative. Perception then becomes reality. I'll never understand the thinking behind these long bouts of complete silence. I'm sick of other companies making news. I want Apple to be making news (and not over some stupid Beats acquisition).
Ohhhh riiiiight
Can you point to anyone on this site crowing about it in the three previous years where Apple was on top. I don't recall anything labeled BrandZ making headlines.
edit: AI has posted about this in the past. I even commented on one of them back in 2011 but my interest in the thread was of a different topic. I didn't see anyone crowing but did see several comments about this news potentially tanking Apple's stock.
Not to be cynical about how a company is able to surge 40% in "brand value" in a single year - but I'm sure this has nothing to do with Google's partnerships with WPP, Millward Brown's parent company.
This report lost ALL credibility when I saw the name's AT&T and Marlboro in the top 10 list...
Your concern trolling is getting so fucking old. There was a report about a week ago about how Apple is still the most valuable brand in the world by far, and has actually gone up in brand value the past year compare to other companies. You think these actually mean anything? You think Apple should release shit simply to "keep themselves in the news "? Thank god you have nothing to do with running the company, cause that's a shit mentality.
Blah blah blah. If your going to reference surveys, you better post the links.
That doesn't stop 4 out of 5 AI members from doing it.
They are the 1 out of 5 dentists.
I almost sprayed coffee in laughter after reading the headline...
You're doing it all wrong! You're meant to be gnashing your teeth (and fretting and losing sleep and... all that).
but then there's Google+
The Millward Brown people found it. It was swept under the rug.