Apple, the manufacturer of the iPhone, iPad and iMac, has overtaken iconic search engine Google to become the world’s most valued brand, a survey of the world’s top 10 brands revealed yesterday.
Apple’s brand value jumped 84 percent in the past year to $153.3 billion (R1 trillion), which exceeds the gross domestic product (GDP) of 132 of the 195 countries listed on the World Bank website.
It is just under the GDP of South Africa ($285.3bn), Philippines ($161bn) and Romania ($161bn) and more than the GDP of New Zealand ($126.7bn) and Hungary ($129bn).
Millward Brown, a unit of advertising and marketing services firm WPP, which compiled the report, said Google’s brand value fell 2 percent to $111.5bn, ending four years atop the rankings, while IBM climbed 17 percent to third place ahead of fast food chain McDonald’s.
New versions of the iPhone and iMac, and the introduction of the iPad tablet, helped Apple almost double sales and profit for the latest quarter.
Apple, which overtook Microsoft as the most valuable technology company by market value in May 2010, boosted its share of the global cellphone market and is the leading seller of tablet computers.
Eileen Campbell, the chief executive of Millward Brown, said: “It’s clear that every single Apple employee, from Steve Jobs and Tim Cook to the summer interns, see protecting and nurturing that brand as a top priority. Tablet computing also drove value growth not just for Apple, but also for the providers who support yet another networked device.”
Facebook, the operator of the largest social networking site, had a 246 percent climb in brand value, the fastest growth, to become the number 35 brand at $19.1bn, according to the report.
Baidu, Google’s Chinese rival, posted the second-fastest climb at 141 percent, to be the number 29 brand at $22.6bn.
Twelve of the top 100 global brands were from China, led by China Mobile at number nine and Industrial & Commercial Bank of China at number 11.
Amazon.com, which ranked 14th, overtook Wal-Mart Stores, which ranked 15th, to become the most valuable retail brand.
In South Africa, cellphone companies MTN and Vodacom followed by Absa and its banking rivals and Carling Black Label beer have left historically powerful brands such as Castle Lager and De Beers in the dust, according to local branding gurus.
MTN is regarded as possibly the most successful transnational brand in Africa.
David Blyth, the managing director of brand strategy consultancy Yellowwood, said: “Along with MTN’s marketing consistency, large presence, extensive involvement with the 2010 World Cup, not to forget their hugely popular Ayoba campaign, makes this a brand that cannot be absent from a South African top brands list.”
Absa, a stickler for high-profile sponsorships, which include the PSL and national soccer and rugby teams, leads the financial services brands.
Capitec Bank, which has overhauled its image through clever marketing by aligning itself with South Africa’s most loved television soap, Generations, and with Pep Stores is considered the fastest-growing local brand.
Analysts were, however, unable to immediately provide valuations of brands.
Jeremy Sampson, the chief executive of Interbrand Sampson in Johannesburg, said a previous survey conducted by Interbrand Sampson showed that brand equity generally constituted between 20 percent to 25 percent of strong brands. - Business Report