LONDON — In a world characterized by economic volatility, escalating tariffs and technological upheaval, one truth is becoming ever clearer: strong brands don’t just survive — they thrive. This year’s 20th edition of the Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands ranking delivers a timely reminder that brand equity, not just product performance or operational scale, is the bedrock of long-term business value.
With the total value of the Global Top 100 reaching a record $10.7 trillion — up 29% from last year — the numbers tell a compelling story. The world’s most valuable brands have consistently outperformed the S&P 500 and the MSCI World Index over the past two decades, and that performance isn’t simply due to luck or macroeconomic tailwinds. It’s a testament to strategic investment in marketing, relentless innovation and the power of emotional connection with consumers.
The dominance of U.S.-based brands is, at first glance, overwhelming. American companies now account for 82% of the total brand value in the Global Top 100, a dramatic rise from 63% in 2006. Apple, Amazon and Google continue to anchor this supremacy, with Apple holding its top spot for the fourth consecutive year and becoming the only trillion-dollar brand on the list. Amazon’s 50% surge in brand value — now at $866 billion — underscores how convenience, speed and affordability resonate powerfully with global consumers in turbulent economic times.
Yet beneath the surface of this U.S. hegemony, fault lines are beginning to show.
China’s brands have doubled in value since 2006, now comprising 6% of the global total. India’s Airtel is the fastest-growing telecom brand in the world. Spotify from Sweden, Mercado Libre from Argentina, Zara from Spain and RBC from Canada are proving that breakthrough innovation and deep cultural relevance can push brands from outside the U.S. into the global spotlight. And with geopolitical uncertainty — including escalating tariffs — creating new pressures on global trade, the long-term brand landscape may soon look less lopsided.
This evolving dynamic challenges the assumption that dominance is destiny. As Martin Guerrieria, head of Kantar BrandZ, puts it: “The last thing businesses should be doing in response to market shocks is cutting marketing investment.” In fact, it’s precisely during downturns that brand building becomes a strategic imperative.
Brands are not static logos or advertising taglines — they are perceptions, promises and emotional shortcuts stored in consumers’ minds. The companies that continue to rise in the BrandZ rankings are those that invest in maintaining and evolving those perceptions. Whether it’s Apple’s seamless ecosystem, Amazon’s frictionless commerce or McDonald’s universally familiar experience, these brands win because they deliver consistency and surprise.
Even newcomers like ChatGPT, entering the list at No. 60, reveal the lightning-fast potential of new technologies to build brand equity almost overnight — if they meet a deeply felt need. ChatGPT’s rise is especially striking, not just as a debut, but as a societal phenomenon. Yet it also serves as a cautionary tale. With competitors like Google and Microsoft racing to redefine the generative AI space, OpenAI must now shift from product innovation to brand stewardship to retain its cultural foothold.
The data also reinforces a broader pattern: Disruptive brands account for nearly three-quarters of the $9.3 trillion in value growth since 2006. Companies like Stripe and Chipotle, newcomers to the Top 100, are not succeeding by doing more of the same. They’re redefining what their categories mean. Aldi, too, remains a perennial force by consistently delivering value and simplicity in retail — a formula as effective today as it was 20 years ago.
But not all sectors are riding the same wave. Retail brand value is up 48% as private label goods and e-commerce continue to dominate consumer priorities in inflationary times. Meanwhile, sectors like apparel, food and beverages, personal care, and alcohol have plateaued or declined, pressured by changing lifestyles and generational shifts. The luxury category, which thrived during the pandemic, has also seen a slight dip, driven in part by shifting cultural norms in China, where conspicuous consumption is falling out of favor.
The underlying message of Kantar’s report is clear: Brand value is created by staying culturally relevant, emotionally resonant and meaningfully different. As Guerrieria rightly notes, in a digitally saturated world, “brands need to meet people’s needs, connect with them emotionally and offer something others don’t.”
The growing visibility of brands from Asia-Pacific and Latin America shows that the era of global brand value being concentrated in Silicon Valley may be slowly giving way to a more multipolar future. Companies across continents are proving that with enough focus on innovation, marketing and customer-centricity, the next Apple or Amazon might emerge from Mumbai, Buenos Aires or Seoul.
Kantar’s report suggests that businesses should resist the temptation to retrench, to cut marketing spend, to play defense. History — and now two decades of data — shows that brand investment is critical. Because when volatility rocks the boat, consumers don’t cling to the cheapest product. They cling to the brands they trust.
