Aramco, one of the world’s largest integrated energy and chemicals companies is the highest newcomer in the Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands 2022 ranking with a value of more than $99 billion. Following its IPO in 2019, Aramco instantly became one of the world’s largest publicly traded companies by market capitalisation.
Apple sits on top of the Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands 2022 ranking and is on track to become the first trillion-dollar brand. With a brand value of $947.1bn, Apple stands out for its high degree of differentiation and continued diversification across its hardware, software and services portfolio. Google moves up to second place and is one of the fastest risers in the ranking, increasing its brand value by 79% to $819.6bn. Google’s suite of work and productivity apps have made it an essential part of consumers’ lives worldwide.
The combined value of the world’s Top 100 most valuable brands has increased by 23%to $8.7 trillion over the past year, highlighting the importance of brand strength in navigating an unsettled global economy. This year, brands needed to exceed a total brand valuation of $21,219 million to earn the title of one of the world’s biggest brands – a threshold that’s increased more than fourfold since the list’s debut in 2006.
Thirty-seven brands improved their ranking this year. In 2022, over three quarters of brand value originated from US companies. Media & Entertainment, Business Solutions & Technology Providers and Retail categories account for over half of the total value of the Top 100 ranking.
Kantar BrandZ Top 20 Most Valuable Global Brands 2022
| Rank 2022 | Rank change | Brand | Country of Origin | Brand Value 2022 ($M) | Brand Value 2021 ($M) | % Brand Value Change 2022 vs 2021 |
| 1 | 1 | Apple | US | 947,062 | 611,997 | 55% |
| 2 | 1 | US | 819,573 | 457,998 | 79% | |
| 3 | -2 | Amazon | US | 705,646 | 683,852 | 3% |
| 4 | 0 | Microsoft | US | 611,460 | 410,271 | 49% |
| 5 | 0 | Tencent | China | 214,023 | 240,931 | -11% |
| 6 | 3 | McDonald’s | US | 196,526 | 154,921 | 27% |
| 7 | 1 | Visa | US | 191,032 | 191,285 | 0% |
| 8 | -2 | US | 186,421 | 226,744 | -18% | |
| 9 | -2 | Alibaba | China | 169,966 | 196,912 | -14% |
| 10 | 11 | Louis Vuitton | France | 124,273 | 75,730 | 64% |
| 11 | 1 | Nvidia | US | 124,161 | 104,763 | 19% |
| 12 | -2 | Mastercard | US | 117,253 | 112,876 | 4% |
| 13 | 4 | Nike | US | 109,601 | 83,709 | 31% |
| 14 | -3 | Moutai | China | 103,380 | 109,330 | -5% |
| 15 | -2 | Verizon | US | 101,962 | 101,943 | 0% |
| 16 | N/A | Aramco | Saudi Arabia | 99,327 | N/A | N/A |
| 17 | -1 | Coca-Cola | US | 97,883 | 87,604 | 12% |
| 18 | -3 | IBM | US | 96,992 | 91,337 | 6% |
| 18 | 1 | Adobe | US | 92,830 | 78,524 | 18% |
| 20 | -2 | US | 92,098 | 82,904 | 11% |
Key trends highlighted in Kantar BrandZ’sglobal study include:
- NEWCOMERS in 2022’s ranking emerge from a range of categories. Aramco, one of the world’s largest integrated energy and chemical companies debuted highest at No.16. India’s IT services and consultancy Infosys arrived at No.64. Latin America’s largest online commerce and payments ecosystem, Mercado Libreentered at No.71.
- MICROSOFT, ZARA AND IBM lead the way in the new Kantar Sustainability BrandZ Index, which shows sustainability already accounts for 3% of brand equity and is expected to rise.
- TESLAis one of this year’s biggest success stories shifting to No.29 from No.47mirroring the world-widesales trend of electric vehicles more than doubling in 2021.
- LOUIS VUITTON(No.10; $124.3bn)is the first luxury brand to reach the global Top 10 reflecting the growth of the luxury market worldwide and in China in particular. Louis Vuitton experienced 64% growth in brand value this year and is the first European brand to reach the global Top 10 since 2010.
- CHINESE brands hold strong, despite facing unique pandemic challenges, placing twice in the global Top 10 with Tencent atNo.5 and Alibaba at No.9. China is also the only market rivalling the USA’s dominance in the Media & Entertainment category with WeChat at No.5 and TikTok at No.9.
Commenting on this, Nico Stouthart, Senior Partner Consulting Division, New York, Kantar and Aramco Client Lead says, “I am excited to see Aramco entering the global BrandZ ranking as the highest newcomer at position 16. This is very much in line with their exciting ambition to further drive their global presence by pioneering innovative technologies that will positively impact people and the communities they live in.”
“We are excited to see the first brand born in the region enter the top 20 Most Valuable Brands.This year’s Kantar BrandZ global ranking continues to reinforce our belief that strong brands create tremendous value, even in uncertain times. The top 100 brands added another 1.3 trillion dollars of brand value this year, that’s greater than the combined GDP of Saudi Arabia and UAE! We have seen the strongest growth in consumer tech and luxury brands, as these highly meaningful and strongly differentiated brands gained momentum. We are also seeing that brands growing in value are creating more connections, whether it’s by connecting to more people by amplifying their meaningful difference and reaching to greater audiences; or by connecting to new markets and categories and driving conversations around broader issues impacting the people,” comments Amol Ghate, Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, for Kantar’s Insights Division.
Sector leaders come from a mix of industry sectors
Technology and Luxury brands grew the fastest;46% for Consumer Technology and 45% for Luxury.Bank and Automotive brands also demonstrated impressive growth; Automotive by34% and Banks by +30%. This compares to growth across sectors such as Apparel (20%) and Personal Care (17%).At a category level, Wells Fargo was the only new No.1 brand, moving from second to first place in the Bankingcategory and replacing China’s ICBC.
Category Leaders: Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands 2022
| Rank 2022 | Category | Brand | Country of Origin | Brand Value 2022 ($M) | Brand Value 2021 ($M) | Brand Value Change |
| 1 | Alcohol | Moutai | China | 103,380 | 109,330 | -5% |
| 1 | Apparel | Nike | US | 109,601 | 83,709 | 31% |
| 1 | Banks | Wells Fargo | US | 43,052 | 27,995 | 54% |
| 1 | Business Solutions and Technology Providers | Microsoft | US | 611,460 | 410,271 | 49% |
| 1 | Cars | Tesla | US | 75,933 | 42,606 | 78% |
| 1 | Consumer Technology | Apple | US | 947,062 | 611,997 | 55% |
| 1 | Fast Food | McDonald’s | US | 196,526 | 154,921 | 27% |
| 1 | Food and Beverages | Coca-Cola | US | 89,985 | 80,484 | 12% |
| 1 | Luxury | Louis Vuitton | France | 124,273 | 75,730 | 64% |
| 1 | Media and Entertainment | US | 766,779 | N/A | N/A | |
| 1 | Personal Care | L’Oréal Paris | France | 47,480 | 38,309 | 24% |
| 1 | Retail | Amazon | US | 281,695 | N/A | N/A |
| 1 | Telecom Providers | Verizon | US | 101,962 | 101,943 | 0% |
*In Retail, the value of Amazon includes its retail businesses only; For Media & Entertainment, Google includes Google branded services and products, excluding Google Cloud.
“’Strong brand affinity underpinsa customer’s willingness to pay and has never been more important for organisations looking to offset spiking inflation,” explains Martin Guerrieria, Head of Kantar BrandZ. “This year’s results show us the value of continued investment in brand and marketing capabilities, as a means of maximising business returns, irrespective of market conditions.”
Focus on brand-building, product and market diversification maximises business returns:
- The pandemic has further accelerated growth of e-commerce in the retail category, hence brands with stronger connections to consumers were able to sustain their growth online and beyond.
- Portfolio brands that continue to innovate and diversify their offer continue to grow, especially evident with Apple, Google and Amazon,amongst others, as their services cross technology, entertainment and payment services. Brands reliant on one category or market have the greatest risk profile, whereas brands that have diversified into multiple categories and markets showed faster brand value growth in 2022 and have a better chance of above-average growth.
- To navigate a disruptive market, brands must lock down trust as a means of driving stability and safety. More than in the past, brands today must build trust on the basis of societal performance, not just product performance. Sometimes, this means a social purpose that is integrated into the entire organisation. Nike is a good example with its ongoing commitment to inspire and innovate for everyone, not just high-performance athletes, particularly girls and minority communities.
“Kantar BrandZ’s2022 global report,the 17thedition,uncovers the importance of brand-building to help survive market disruption, continuesGuerrieria. Brands are typically the biggest assets businesses have, adding massive value to the balance sheet. In uncertain times, management decisions on marketing investment can be supported by proven metrics. Kantar BrandZ’s brand valuations clearly show how great marketing connects to brand value in both the short and long-term.”