14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is once again the leading company in the Best Global Brands 2016 Rankings put together by research firm Interbrand, with Google taking the runner-up spot this year.
Automotive and technology companies are dominating the top 100 with a total of 29 positions, while retail is said to be the top growing sector.
As far as tech firms are concerned, Apple has improved its brand value this year by 5 percent to $178,119 million, followed by Google with an 11 percent increase to $133,252 million. Coca-Cola is the third name on the chart with a drop of 7 percent to $73,102 million, while Microsoft reached the fourth place, up 8 percent to $72,785 million.
Samsung is the seventh in the chart with a 14 percent increase and a brand value of $51,808 million, but these figures were calculated before the launch of the Note 7 and without taking into account the damage caused by its faulty batteries.
Top companies leading the change
Interbrand claims companies like Apple are driving changes and this is why they continue to be at the top of the rankings, so maybe the removal of the headphone jack isn’t such a bad idea after all.
“It’s clear the best global brands are not just weathering change, but driving it,” said Jez Frampton, Interbrand’s Global Chief Executive Officer. “They understand their Anatomy of Growth is complex, unique and personal; they look inward and outward, expand into new markets, and create better experiences to grow their brands and businesses.”
In the case of Microsoft, the company has been growing every year since 2012, and 2016 brings a new record for the firm, so it’s no surprise that the board is very pleased with CEO Satya Nadella’s work. The chart below shows Microsoft’s brand value since 2000, and as it turns out, the company’s growing trend is very likely to continue in the coming years.
