Coca-Cola is still the world’s best global brand, according to a survey by consulting firm Interbrand.
The soft-drink manufacturer topped the survey for the 11th consecutive year, in Interbrand’s annual ranking of the 100 “Best Global Brands.”
The survey says: “Coca-Cola gets almost everything right. Its brand promise of fun, freedom, spirit and refreshment resonates the world over and it excels at keeping the brand fresh and always evolving – all this, while also maintaining the nostalgia that reinforces customers’ deep connection to the brand.”
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Rounding out the top five were IBM, Microsoft, Google and General Electric. Overall, technology brands continued to head the pack — five of the top 10 brands were tech companies. And of all the companies on the list, Apple saw the biggest increase in value at 37 percent. Earlier this year, the company released the iPad and iPhone 4. The company came in at number 17 overall.
No surprise here — BP, still reeling from the Gulf oil spill disaster — fell off the list completely. Last year, it ranked at number 83 and had been on the list for nine years. BP’s woes helped competitor Shell rise as industry leader, coming in at 81 — up from 92 in 2009.
Another company that saw problems this year, Toyota, came in at a surprising 11th, down from 8th last year. The company suffered a series of recalls, which knocked its reputation in dependability and reliability. The woes caused the carmaker to lose 16 percent of its value.
[See a list of the top 25 global brands below]
The biggest decliner in brand value in the entire survey was Harley-Davidson, which fell 24 percent. It dropped to number 98 from number 73 a year ago. Interbrand says, “Over the past three years, Harley-Davidson has seen a rapid decline in brand value as it becomes a less relevant purchase due to the recession.”
In the financial services sector, American Express came in at 24, JPMorgan at 29, Goldman Sachs at 37, and Citi at 40.
“2010 was the beginning of a long road back towards economic recovery,” said Jez Frampton, group chief executive at Interbrand. “From real-time customer feedback through social media to increased transparency about corporate citizenship, brands were faced with a profound change in the way they relate to customers and demonstrate their relevance and value. Despite this new paradigm of brand management, the advantages of building a solid brand remain the same.”
Interbrand has released its survey since 1999. Among other criteria, it uses the financial performance of the branded products or services, the role of brand in the purchase decision process and the strength of the brand to come up with its rankings.
The top 25 best global brands according to Interbrand:
- Coca Cola
- IBM
- Microsoft
- General Electric
- McDonald’s
- Intel
- Nokia
- Disney
- Hewlett-Packard
- Toyota
- Mercedes Benz
- Gillette
- Cisco
- BMW
- Louis Vuitton
- Apple
- Marlboro
- Samsung
- Honda
- H&M
- Oracle
- Pepsi
- American Express
- Nike
You can find the entire list here.
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