Apple leaps to second-most valuable global brand
updated 07:00 pm EDT, Wed October 3, 2012
Rises from eighth place last year
Apple has leapfrogged its position in an annual survey by Interbrand on the world's best global brands, rising to second behind perennial leader Coca-Cola. The move, coming just one year after Apple made it into the top ten brands for the first time, reflects a 129 percent increase in the growth of the brand. Just two years ago, the company was ranked 17th before moving to eighth in last year's survey. The top five brands in particular are now dominated by tech companies, and Apple's brand alone is now valued at $76.5 billion.
A number of factors go into the ranking of brands, but one of the largest is the ability of the company to generate profits across a diverse line of products. Apple is just behind Coca-Cola and ahead of IBM, Google and Microsoft respectively. Interbrands ranks 100 global brands, but tech companies have increasingly dominated the top ranks, now making up half of the top 20 brands. The largest drop in brand value fell to beleaguered Research in Motion, whose BlackBerry brand lost 39 percent of its perceived value but is still in the top 100 at position 93.
In a descriptive article describing the company and its rise in the rankings, Interbrand pointed out the philosophy behind the company as one of the key factors to its success. "Few companies have captured our imagination, inspired such devotion, and revolutionized the way we live quite like Apple," Interbrands notes. "While we may assume it’s the products that define Apple, it’s really a certain kind of thinking, a certain set of values, and an unmistakable human touch that pervades everything Apple does — which is why our connections to the brand transcend commerce."
Apple's sharp rise is partially due to its ability to fend off most challenges from rivals, particularly in the area of tablets. While Android phones in aggregate outsell the three models of iPhone, the brand is still seen as individual market leader and the most influential brand. The extremely high adoption rate for iOS 6 and the recently-introduced iPhone 5, along the rumored impending iPad Mini and likely record holiday buying season, should help Apple avoid any significant drop in brand value next year.
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Joined: 05-13-01
We are constantly bombarded by the "Apple is doomed crowd" about how the brand is slipping because of all the "gate" scandals, the latest being the maps and purple haze gates. Then reports like this come out, customer satisfaction surveys come out, and the haters have egg on their faces. When will people realize that a lengthy thread on the Apple discussions forums does not reflect reality. Counting posts and views does not determine the extent of an issue. The drama queens run around with their hair on fire yelling "The Sky is Falling" as if every has the issue du jour. If you read it on the internet, especially if it's about Apple, it is almost certainly not true.