Most valuable global car brands named

Published Oct 9, 2012

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Twelve car companies have made it into Interbrand's 100 Best Global Brands 2012 and Toyota tops the list in tenth place, closely followed by Mercedes in 11th place and BMW in 12th.

Further back in the field, Honda was named the fourth most valuable automotive brand in 21st place, followed by Volkswagen (39th), Ford (45th), Hyundai (53rd) and Audi in 55th place.

Rounding out the top twelve were Porsche in 72nd spot, Nissan (73rd), Kia (87th) and Ferrari (99th). Taking cars out of the equation, CocaCola takes the overall honours, followed by Apple and IBM.

So what is it that makes a valuable brand in the car business? Interbrand assesses the brands for its overall brand strength, its role in the purchase decision process and even its financial performance.

In the following extracts, we get to see what Interbrand had to say about the top five automotive brands:

1: TOYOTA

-The resilience of the Toyota brand seems to have closed the chapter on sudden acceleration and helped the carmaker in reclaiming its global leadership position.

-Toyota's Prius customers continue to deepen their connection to the Toyota portfolio.

-In addition to showing solid numbers with repeat customers, Toyota is strengthening its appeal with younger consumers.

2: MERCEDES-BENZ

-There may be no other vehicle that exudes class and luxury quite like Mercedes-Benz. In the minds of many people, it is still the brand that says, 'I've arrived'.

-Its long heritage of excellence in engineering, performance, styling, and safety was dramatically underscored in 2010 by the resurrection of founder Gottlieb Daimler's guiding motto, 'The Best or Nothing'.

-Laying the groundwork for further growth, the striking campaign reached millions and gave sales a significant boost. Building on that success, this year's confident 'A as in Attack' campaign is now fanning the flames of desire for the new A-Class line-up.

3: BMW

-Synonymous with class, performance and style, BMW remains a leading premium brand in the automobile industry and continues to appeal to a wide host of target groups around the world with over 11 million Facebook fans, more than most other auto brands.

-The key success factors are BMW's handling characteristics, design, and innovative thrust of the brand.”

-BMW is determined to set new benchmarks in the dealership experience, opening brand stores in London and Paris this year as part of BMW's 'Future Retail' program.

-BMW is also poised to introduce the ‘i’ series, which promises to bring new excitement and attention to the electric vehicle market.

4: HONDA

-For Honda, 2011 was a year to forget. A strong yen and severe disruptions to its supply chain hampered supplies, sales, and profits.

-Segments that Honda has dominated continue to intensify with a growing field of competitors, while the sluggish performance in Europe and highly critical reviews of the Civic took a toll on the brand.

-The good news is that the brand seems to be turning the corner. Honda is cranking up production and a number of anticipated launches should help get the business back on the right track.

5: VOLKSWAGEN

-VW's 'Modular Transverse Matrix' (MQB) is the company's response to the huge challenges that face the automobile industry worldwide.

-Its introduction will significantly reduce vehicle weights, enable all alternative engine types, from natural gas to hybrid versions and even purely electrical systems, and will offer more premium innovations in safety and infotainment available to a broader base of customers.

-VW has also developed a new compact car for customers in metropolitan areas, the up!, which was named 'World Car of the Year 2012' at the New York International Auto Show.

-VW was also a big winner at the Cannes Lions this year, winning 23 awards and snagging a best viral video prize for their ‘Don't make up and drive’ spot.

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