Apple maintains top position in Brandz study
updated 06:18 pm EDT, Tue May 22, 2012
Second year in top spot for iPhone maker
Apple has maintained its lead over other companies in the Millward Brown 2012 Brandz study. This marks the second year at the top for Apple, increasing their brand value from $153 billion to $182 billion, while previous branding leader Google slips behind IBM to third place. The study covers brand value as a perceptual worth independent from any financial undertakings, instead of market capitalization as typically used by financial analysts.
Like last year, the top 10 is dominated by telecoms and technology brands. Microsoft stays in fifth place, with AT&T dropping a place while still staying ahead of Verizon (9th) and the world's largest cellular carrier China Mobile (10th). Vodafone, T-Mobile/Deutsche Telekom, HP, Oracle, NTT Docomo, Intel, and Orange made the top half of the 100 brand chart. Online retailer Amazon reached 18 behind Walmart, with a difference in brand value of $359 million or 1% of the value of Walmart. Samsung, Cisco, and Sony amongst others appear in the bottom half, reaching 55th, 59th, and 86th respectively.
The brand value of Apple in the top position is approximately 24 times as large as DHL, which is in 100th place.
