Brands
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.
Markets
Ranked: Top 10 Most Valuable Airline Brands Since 2013
Airline brands have seen big up and down swings in valuation as of late. See how the 10 largest brand have changed from 2013 to 2022.

Top 10 Most Valuable Airline Brands Since 2013
The global airline industry was experiencing strong growth before the pandemic wiped out years of momentum.
Global travel went from 1.9 billion scheduled passengers per year in 2004 to 4.7 billion in 2019, before dropping back down to 1.8 billion in 2020. And while the recovery story has begun, the values of the top airline brands have been significantly impacted.
This graphic from Julie R. Peasley shows the most valuable airline brands from 2013 to 2022, using data from Brand Finance. Each airline brand is also categorized by home continent.
Most Valuable Airlines From 2013‒2022
After two back-to-back years of suffered declines, brand values for the top airlines changed course and rose in 2022.
American companies have long dominated the airline space when categorized by brand value. American Airlines, Delta, United, and Southwest have represented four of the top five since 2017, with their brands worth a collective value of $24.1 billion in 2022.
Company | Brand Value ($B) | Region |
---|---|---|
Delta | $7.3 | North America |
American Airlines | $6.3 | North America |
United Airlines | $5.5 | North America |
Emirates | $5.0 | Middle East |
Southwest Airlines | $5.0 | North America |
Air Canada | $2.5 | North America |
Air China | $2.4 | Asia |
Lufthansa | $2.3 | Europe |
China southern | $2.3 | Asia |
ANA | $2.3 | Asia |
First-place Delta in particular has remained in either the top spot or second place since 2014. On the other hand, second-place American Airlines was not even in the top 10 in 2013, but rapidly climbed past companies like United, Lufthansa, and British Airways.
Emirates is also a serious competitor and has won numerous awards for customer service. The UAE-based airliner even held the most valuable title for four consecutive years from 2013 to 2016.
Will Airline Brands Recover?
While views amongst some airline executives are a lot more optimistic now, it’s fair to say the pandemic resulted in some considerable industry turmoil.
After all, in 2020 industry revenues declined by 54% from $838 billion in 2019.
As a result, you’ll notice each brand is below their historic high values. But as travel is projected to make a full comeback, recovery and higher brand values might be on the horizon.
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