Markets
The World’s 100 Most Valuable Brands in 2021
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The World’s Top 100 Most Valuable Brands in 2021
In 2020, the global economy experienced one of the worst declines since the Great Depression.
Yet, while the ripple effects of COVID-19 have thrown many businesses into disarray, some companies have not only managed to stay afloat amidst the chaos—they’ve thrived. Using data from Kantar BrandZ, this graphic looks at the top 100 most valuable brands of 2021.
Methodology
Each year, research group Kantar BrandZ ranks companies based on their “brand value,” which is measured by:
- A brand’s total financial value, which is the financial contribution that brand brings to its parent company ($ value).
- Multiplied by its proportional value, measured by the brands proportional impact on its parent company’s sales (% value).
The financial results are then combined with quantitative survey data, sourced from over 170,000 global consumers. The end result is a holistic look at a company’s brand equity, reputation, and ability to generate value.
The Leaderboard
The total value of 2021’s Top 100 brands grew by 42%, reaching a combined $7 trillion. At the top of the list, perhaps unsurprisingly, is Amazon, with a total brand value of $683 billion.
Rank | Brand | Brand Value ($B USD) | Category | Brand Value % change from 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Amazon | $683.85 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 64% |
2 | Apple | $612.00 | Technology | 74% |
3 | $458.00 | Media & Entertainment | 42% | |
4 | Microsoft | $410.27 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | 26% |
5 | Tencent | $240.93 | Media & Entertainment | 60% |
6 | $226.74 | Media & Entertainment | 54% | |
7 | Alibaba | $196.91 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 29% |
8 | Visa | $191.29 | Financial Services | 2% |
9 | McDonald's | $154.92 | Food & Beverages | 20% |
10 | Mastercard | $112.88 | Financial Services | 4% |
11 | Moutai | $109.33 | Food & Beverages | 103% |
12 | Nvidia | $104.76 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
13 | Verizon | $101.94 | Telecom Providers | 8% |
14 | AT&T | $100.65 | Telecom Providers | -5% |
15 | IBM | $91.34 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | 9% |
16 | Coca-Cola | $87.60 | Food & Beverages | 4% |
17 | Nike | $83.71 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 68% |
18 | $82.90 | Media & Entertainment | 100% | |
19 | PayPal | $80.62 | Payments | 66% |
20 | Adobe | $78.52 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
21 | Louis Vuitton | $75.73 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 46% |
22 | UPS | $73.02 | Logistics | 44% |
23 | Intel | $71.94 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
24 | Netflix | $71.13 | Media & Entertainment | 55% |
25 | The Home Depot | $70.52 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 22% |
26 | SAP | $69.24 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | 20% |
27 | Accenture | $64.73 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
28 | Oracle | $60.84 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
29 | Starbucks | $60.27 | Food & Beverages | 26% |
30 | Walmart | $59.52 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 30% |
31 | Xfinity | $59.00 | Telecom Providers | 26% |
32 | Marlboro | $57.01 | Consumer Goods & Retail | -2% |
33 | Disney | $55.22 | Media & Entertainment | 13% |
34 | Meituan | $52.40 | Technology | 119% |
35 | Texas Instruments | $49.24 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
36 | Salesforce | $48.98 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | 61% |
37 | Qualcomm | $48.36 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
38 | Spectrum | $47.28 | Telecom Providers | 10% |
39 | YouTube | $47.10 | Media & Entertainment | 39% |
40 | Chanel | $47.05 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 30% |
41 | Cisco | $46.82 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
42 | Samsung | $46.77 | Technology | 44% |
43 | Hermès | $46.40 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 40% |
44 | JD | $44.52 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 75% |
45 | TikTok | $43.52 | Media & Entertainment | 158% |
46 | Deutsche Telekom | $43.10 | Telecom Providers | 16% |
47 | Tesla | $42.61 | Cars & Transportation | 275% |
48 | L'Oréal Paris | $38.31 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 30% |
49 | Ping An | $38.05 | Insurance | 13% |
50 | Huawei | $38.02 | Technology | 29% |
51 | ICBC | $37.77 | Financial Services | -1% |
52 | Zoom | $36.93 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
53 | Intuit | $35.87 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
54 | $35.52 | Media & Entertainment | 19% | |
55 | Costco | $35.14 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 23% |
56 | Gucci | $33.84 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 24% |
57 | AMD | $32.92 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
58 | Tata Consulting Services | $31.28 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
59 | Xbox | $30.40 | Technology | 55% |
60 | Vodafone | $29.74 | Telecom Providers | 29% |
61 | American Express | $28.58 | Financial Services | -3% |
62 | Wells Fargo | $28.00 | Financial Services | -8% |
63 | RBC | $27.61 | Financial Services | 33% |
64 | Toyota | $26.97 | Cars & Transportation | -5% |
65 | Haier | $26.42 | Technology | 41% |
66 | HDFC Bank | $26.37 | Financial Services | 27% |
67 | Mercedes-Benz | $25.84 | Cars & Transportation | 21% |
68 | China Mobile | $25.82 | Telecom Providers | -25% |
69 | Budweiser | $25.55 | Food & Beverages | 5% |
70 | Xiaomi | $24.89 | Technology | 50% |
71 | BMW | $24.82 | Cars & Transportation | 21% |
72 | Dell Technologies | $24.78 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | 36% |
73 | LIC | $24.14 | Insurance | 38% |
74 | J.P. Morgan | $24.11 | Financial Services | 37% |
75 | Siemens | $23.64 | Conglomerate | 69% |
76 | Fedex | $23.59 | Logistics | 53% |
77 | Baidu | $23.36 | Media & Entertainment | 57% |
78 | Uber | $22.41 | Cars & Transportation | 41% |
79 | Adidas | $22.34 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 51% |
80 | Chase | $21.83 | Financial Services | 7% |
81 | Pinduoduo | $21.73 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 131% |
82 | Snapchat | $21.61 | Media & Entertainment | n/a |
83 | Zara | $21.38 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 0% |
84 | Ikea | $21.02 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 17% |
85 | UnitedHealthCare | $20.87 | Insurance | 32% |
86 | Lowe's | $20.67 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 51% |
87 | AIA | $20.60 | Insurance | 16% |
88 | NTT | $20.48 | Telecom Providers | 1% |
89 | Autodesk | $20.45 | Business Solutions & Tech Providers | n/a |
90 | TD | $20.21 | Financial Services | 17% |
91 | Orange | $20.20 | Telecom Providers | 4% |
92 | DHL | $20.14 | Logistics | 39% |
93 | Didi Chuxing | $20.04 | Cars & Transportation | 0% |
94 | China Construction Bank | $19.78 | Financial Services | -6% |
95 | Pampers | $19.62 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 6% |
96 | KE | $19.50 | Consumer Goods & Retail | n/a |
97 | Commonwealth Bank | $19.47 | Financial Services | 48% |
98 | Bank of America | $19.32 | Financial Services | 14% |
99 | Spotify | $19.28 | Media & Entertainment | n/a |
100 | Colgate | $18.89 | Consumer Goods & Retail | 8% |
It’s the third consecutive year that Amazon has placed first on the list. Since last year’s ranking, the ecommerce brand has seen its value grow by 64%. Keep in mind, this accounts for all areas of Amazon’s business, including its web and subscription services.
Second on the list is Apple with a brand value of $612 billion. Apple wasn’t completely immune to the impacts of COVID-19—in the early days of the pandemic, its stock dipped almost 19% from record highs—but the company recovered and reported record-breaking revenue, generating $64.7 billion in Q4 2020.
It’s fitting that the top brands on the list are big tech companies since the pandemic pushed consumers online for both their shopping and entertainment needs. A few social media platforms placed high on the list as well, like Facebook, which rose two ranks this year to score the sixth spot with a brand value of $227 billion.
Instagram and TikTok trailed behind Facebook when it came to total brand value, but both platforms saw exceptional growth compared to last year’s report. In fact, when looking at brand value growth from 2020, both brands scored a spot in the top 10.
Insights into Brand Value Growth
The most valuable brand report has been ranking companies for over a decade, and some overarching factors have stood out as key contributors to brand value growth:
1. The Big Get Bigger
Starting “strong” can give brands an edge. This is because growth rate is closely correlated with high brand equity. In other words, a strong brand will likely see more growth than a weaker brand, which might explain why companies like Amazon and Apple have been able to hold their place at the top for several consecutive years.
Keep in mind, this doesn’t account for industry disruptors. An innovative company could come out of the woodwork next year and give the Big Tech giants a run for their money.
2. Marketing Makes a Difference
The right strategy can make a difference, and even smaller brands can make a splash if the message is impactful. Brands with emotional associations, like pride or popularity, tend to see that translate into brand value growth.
Companies like Nike and Coca-Cola have mastered the art of emotional advertising. For instance, in May last year, Nike released a video urging consumers to stand up for equality, in a video titled, “For Once, Just Don’t Do It.”
3. Smart Investment
It’s not just about developing an effective marketing strategy, it’s about executing that strategy, and continually investing in ways that perpetuate your brand message.
For instance, innovation is the core value of Tesla’s brand, and the electric car company walks the walk—in 2020, the company spent $1.5 billion on R&D.
Energy
Comparing Saudi Aramco’s $1.9T Valuation to Its Rivals
See how much larger Saudi Aramco’s market cap is compared to rivals like Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell.
Putting Saudi Aramco’s Market Cap Into Perspective
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
As of May 2024, there are just six trillion-dollar companies in the world, and only one of them is an oil company.
In this graphic, we put Saudi Aramco’s market cap into perspective by comparing it to the rest of the world’s largest oil companies. Numbers were sourced from Companiesmarketcap.com, and are as of May 24, 2024.
Data and Takeaways
The data we used to create this graphic are listed in the table below.
Company | Market Cap (as of May 24, 2024) |
---|---|
🇸🇦 Saudi Aramco | $1,914B |
🇺🇸 Exxon Mobil | $509B |
🇺🇸 Chevron | $288B |
🇨🇳 Petro China | $243B |
🇳🇱 Shell | $225B |
🇫🇷 TotalEnergies | $165B |
🇺🇸 ConocoPhillips | $137B |
🇬🇧 BP | $103B |
🇨🇳 Sinopec | $102B |
Saudi Aramco launched its initial public offering (IPO) on December 11, 2019. It remains the largest IPO in history, raising $25.6 billion and valuing the company at $1.7 trillion. Aramco is also the only trillion-dollar company that isn’t based in the United States.
As of 2022, Aramco had proven reserves equal to 259 billion barrels of oil equivalent, which is massively greater than rivals like ExxonMobil (17.7 billion) and Chevron (11.2 billion).
$1.9T*
It should be noted that the Saudi government directly owns 90% of the company, while another 8% is held by the country’s sovereign wealth fund. With only 2% of shares available to the public, some believe that the company’s current valuation carries little weight.
For example, a Bloomberg op-ed from 2023 described Aramco’s valuation as an “illusion” due to its very low trading volume. Over a one year period, Aramco’s average daily turnover was just $51 million, compared to $1.9 billion for ExxonMobil and $1.4 billion for Chevron.
See More Market Cap Comparisons from Visual Capitalist
If you enjoyed this graphic, be sure to check out our similar graphic covering Nvidia.
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