Amazon Surpasses Apple and Google to Become World's Most Valuable Brand

[MacRumors]

Apple surpassed Google but Amazon usurped both tech giants to become the world's most valuable brand in market research firm Kantar's annual BrandZ brand value report.

According to the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brand ranking 2019 [PDF], the ecommerce giant saw its brand value rise to $315.5 billion, beating second-placed Apple's $309.5 billion evaluation and Google's $309 billion in third. Apple's brand value saw a 3 percent rise over last year, while Google saw a 2 percent rise, but Amazon outshone both with a whopping 52 percent gain.

Amazon's rise to the top spot ends a Google-Apple duopoly that began in 2007 when Google surpassed Microsoft to capture the No. 1 rank. Apple and Google had since jostled amongst each other for the position, but Google took the top spot from Apple in 2018.

Doreen Wang, Kantar's global head of BrandZ, told CNBC that Amazon's jump was due to it selling a variety of services.

"Amazon's phenomenal brand value growth of almost $108 billion in the last year demonstrates how brands are now less anchored to individual categories and regions. The boundaries are blurring as technology fluency allow brands, such as Amazon, Google and Alibaba, to offer a range of services across multiple consumer touchpoints."

The top ten most valuable global brands in the report is made up almost entirely of technology and telecom companies, with Microsoft, Visa, Facebook, Alibaba Group, Tencent, McDonald's, and AT&T rounding off the top ten after Amazon, Apple, and Google.

To qualify for the ranking, brands must be publicly traded, or publish their financial results. BrandZ's list uses measures of brand equity based on interviews with over 3 million consumers about thousands of brands, with analysis of each company and financial performance, using data from Kantar Worldpanel.

Brandz is one of several brand rankings released each year, with others including Forbes and Interbrand. Apple has consistently performed well in these studies over the past decade as its revenue has ballooned on the strength of iPhone sales, but the company is increasingly looking to subscription services, original content, and other untapped markets to prop up its business in the face of the recent downturn in the global smartphone market.

Article Link: Amazon Surpasses Apple and Google to Become World's Most Valuable Brand

 

[MacBergin]

facebook needs to drop more

 

[newyorksole]

All 3 are very different companies. All valuable in their own ways. I could see how Amazon is at the top though.

 

[smaffei]

Apple has ceded too many markets that they owned in recent years and I expect for them to drop further.

 

[BvizioN]

I love Amazon. Is one of my favorite companies.

 

[Jsameds]

I love Amazon. Is one of my favorite companies.

Try having any sort of issue when selling on their platform and this view will irreversibly change.

 

[joueboy]

Alibaba at #7, Chinese is really taking over the world.

 

[Gorms]

Big shout out to all the Amazon employees working in terrible conditions without whom none of this would be possible

 

[agffth]

I love Amazon. Is one of my favorite companies.

For me Amazon is the lowest of the low for online sales. They can do a ton of volume but the quality sucks, customer service is a nightmare and all the Amazon branded products are cheap junk.

 

[BootsWalking]

Naming your firm "BrandZ" in the internet age is equivalent to using "AAA Best xxx" back in the Yellow Pages era. Inspires confidence.

 

[The_Joker13]

For me Amazon is the lowest of the low for online sales. They can do a ton of volume but the quality sucks, customer service is a nightmare and all the Amazon branded products are cheap junk.

Hmmm, I know it’s anecdotal, but I’ve never had an issue with Amazons customer service. In fact, quite the opposite. Anytime I’ve had an issue they have been quick to resolve. YMMV.

 

[RickInHouston]

Apple makes great gear. It would take about 10 cool kids + social media to take them out, though. Kids are sheep and the cool kids set the trends (actually it's high fashion houses, but what do they know).

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

For me Amazon is the lowest of the low for online sales. They can do a ton of volume but the quality sucks, customer service is a nightmare and all the Amazon branded products are cheap junk.

Literally everything you said I have exactly the opposite opinion (and experience).

 

[Jyby]

Science Rules!

 

[ElRojito]

For me Amazon is the lowest of the low for online sales. They can do a ton of volume but the quality sucks, customer service is a nightmare and all the Amazon branded products are cheap junk.

I have had horrible service as of late, as well. Used to be great — now I’m having to return **** every month that they send incorrectly.

 

[citysnaps]

I love Amazon. Is one of my favorite companies.

Same here. Been using Amazon for 20 years. Mistakes are very rare. And when one occurs the issue is solved asap.

 

[Awesom-0]

For me Amazon is the lowest of the low for online sales. They can do a ton of volume but the quality sucks, customer service is a nightmare and all the Amazon branded products are cheap junk.

Hmm. I never had a problem with their customer service just using online chat. If there's a problem they will either send me another and let me keep the old one or if I have to send it back they send UPS to my house and they take it back. Then usually refunded that day as well.

The Amazon branded wash cloths I just got are very good. Probably 4x thicker than a standard wash cloth and 100% cotton.

Yes they do have junk listed like any big box store but luckily you have the internet for research to make a informed decision before buying something.

They even offered to refund my money for a Huawei tablet that is 2 years old minus a %10 fee.

 

[7712]

this is only for the United States in europe they have not even heard about amazon

 

[kaycrystal626]

facebook needs to drop more

Nope, it needs to go up more!

 

[willmtaylor]

It's because they keep upping my Subscribe & Save prices. My delivery increased by more than $10 this month alone!

 

[Rogifan]

And how do they arrive at these values? Kanter is a firm that goes to big companies and tells them how to market to different age buckets. They were just at my company last week telling us all about Millennials and Gen Z. And how nobody cares about Gen X.

 

[agffth]

Hmmm, I know it’s anecdotal, but I’ve never had an issue with Amazons customer service. In fact, quite the opposite. Anytime I’ve had an issue they have been quick to resolve. YMMV.

I have had two issues. One was left unresolved and the other took weeks to get a final resolution that I was happy with. I can only judge them based on those experiences. One was about 4 years ago the other was about 2 years ago.

 

[YaBe]

Try having any sort of issue when selling on their platform and this view will irreversibly change.

They have the worst site for selling, sellecentral is a piece of garbage considering the money they have!
They should really consider spending some more money and make selling and listin A LOT easier!

 

[nt5672]

Apple has ceded too many markets that they owned in recent years and I expect for them to drop further.

I disagree with this completely. Apple focuses on the Teen and College markets, which are style, fashion, and image focused. This will keep them at the top for a while. At some point Apple's disregard for cost, technology and reliability will cause them to fall out of favor. Once that happens, it will be a free fall because Apple does not have any other base to fall back on, like in the past.

Now with that said, the new Mac Pro might start recreating that base, provided the new Mac Pro does not have the problems that other recent technology releases have, is upgraded more often, and a middle ground Mac is released between the mini and the Mac Pro.

I am not holding my breath, because Apple management's DNA for good products has gone out the door (outside of the iPhone and a heavy image focus).

 

[Baymowe335]

Apple has ceded too many markets that they owned in recent years and I expect for them to drop further.

You do notice Apple’s brand value increased over last year, right? It’s just Amazon increased over 50%.

You also need to realize this is not calculated with any sort of precision and is mostly subjective.

In terms of real profitability, Apple trounces every company on this list.