Apple Retains Top Spot as World's Most Valuable Brand in Latest Interbrand Rankings

[MacRumors]

Apple has retained its top spot as the world's most valuable company in the latest rankings from consulting firm Interbrand, reports The New York Times. With its top spot in the rankings, Apple also bested fellow technology companies Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Samsung, which came in 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th place, respectively.

On September 9, 2014, Tim Cook held up a wallet and said, "Our ambition is to replace this." A bold statement to be sure--but we'd expect nothing less from Apple, #1 on the Best Global Brands list for the second year in a row. Referring to Apple Pay, a new mobile payments platform that enables consumers to pay for items with Apple devices, Cook signaled that Steve Jobs's 2001 vision of Apple becoming the "digital hub" of its consumers' lives (Macworld Expo 2001) has finally been fulfilled.

In what CNNMoney.com called "one of the most ambitious product launches in its history," Apple unveiled not only Apple Pay, but also the long-anticipated Apple Watch, a wearable device that combines health and fitness monitoring with mobile computer capabilities, and launched two new iPhones that are faster and smarter than previous versions and feature larger screens. The iPhone 6 Plus, which embraces the larger-form factors, could pose a serious challenge to Samsung's GALAXY Note. Though iPhone sales were up prior to the new product launch, particularly in China where China Mobile is now signed as a carrier, the iPhone 6 Plus may further assist penetration in Asian markets where larger-screened devices are preferred.

In last year's survey, Apple overtook Coca-Cola as the most valuable brand in the world after the beverage corporation spent 13 years in the top spot. Apple was valued at $118.9 billion in this year's survey, up $20.6 billion from its $98.3 billion valuation in 2013.

Apple launched the larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 last month, with both devices selling a record-breaking ten million units during their first three days on sale. The company also announced its highly-anticipated Apple Watch wearable device in September, which will come in multiple screen sizes and collections when it launches next year. Apple is expected to unveil new iPads, a 27-inch iMac with Retina Display and perhaps a new Mac Mini at an event next Thursday, October 16.

Article Link: Apple Retains Top Spot as World's Most Valuable Brand in Latest Interbrand Rankings

 

[jji7skyline]

Why is IBM still on this list? :/

 

[appleguy123]

I never really realized how understated and elegant Apple's logo was until looking at this grid.

 

[tigertazz]

Really puts Samsung to shame

 

[iMcLovin]

IBM above microsoft?!? I can only imagine IBM have any brand value in the corporate section, consumers dont care about that name anymore, I would think.
And number 6 in that list I dont even know what is...?

 

[Tankmaze]

I never really realized how understated and elegant Apple's logo was until looking at this grid.

Nah.. I think the best logo on this list is the no 7, it looks unapologetically generic

 

[thekeyring]

And number 6 in that list I dont even know what is...?

Yet somehow that unknown brand is above Samsung?!

 

[JackieTreehorn]

Yet somehow that unknown brand is above Samsung?!

That unknown brand probably designs their own stuff, so yeah - in that respect, they should be above Korean copycats Samsung.

 

[Kevsta26]

number 6 in that list I dont even know what is...?

Yet somehow that unknown brand is above Samsung?!

That unknown brand probably designs their own stuff, so yeah - in that respect, they should be above Korean copycats Samsung.

Are you guys actually being serious or do you not know that "unknown brand" is General Electric? They make a majority of the light bulbs, appliances, etc. in people's homes, plus things like plane engines and wind turbines. Big money.

 

[H2SO4]

What he really means is………Take your wallet, and whatever is in it and replace it with something Apple.

 

[AlecZ]

Why is IBM still on this list? :/

Because some people still say "IBM-compatible computers" when they mean Windows? Just kidding, probably corporate.

 

[Menopause]

IBM: I was Built by Monkeys

 

[Lancer]

Coca-Cola 3rd, not bad for a soft drinks company

 

[betterbegood]

That unknown brand probably designs their own stuff, so yeah - in that respect, they should be above Korean copycats Samsung.

So young, so naive

 

[Jsameds]

Argh IBM's logo really needs a refresh.

It's based on the technical limitations of hardware, photocopiers to be exact - not exactly something a hardware company should have in their logo IMO.

That aside, it's damn ugly too!

 

[FieldingMellish]

Apple now transformed into the march in lockstep to the drumbeat foe as depicted in Steve's famous 1984 ad seen once on television during the Super Bowl.

 

[Keirasplace]

Argh IBM's logo really needs a refresh.

It's based on the technical limitations of hardware, photocopiers to be exact - not exactly something a hardware company should have in their logo IMO.

That aside, it's damn ugly too!

It is Iconic and since its not used much in retail, doesn't need to be very cute ;-).

 

[polterbyte]

Why is IBM still on this list? :/

Well, if for nothing else, there's this:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-14/ibm-wins-most-u-s-patents-for-21st-year-in-a-row.html

Also, even if they have been out of the general population's mind for a long time now, they are still pretty big in the corporate mind. By the way, that's the reason Apple just entered into a partnership with them.

Bottom line: they're still a very valuable brand.

 

[tmanto02]

Are you guys actually being serious or do you not know that "unknown brand" is General Electric? They make a majority of the light bulbs, appliances, etc. in people's homes, plus things like plane engines and wind turbines. Big money.

I think they are serious....little do they know that all of their expensive Apple equipment that was probably bought through store finance is funded by the company they know nothing about.

 

[identity]

Are you guys actually being serious or do you not know that "unknown brand" is General Electric? They make a majority of the light bulbs, appliances, etc. in people's homes, plus things like plane engines and wind turbines. Big money.

The failing of American education and common sense on full display. That's why.

 

[RockSpider]

Oh goodie, my iPad Air just started running a bit faster.

 

[Steve121178]

Why is IBM still on this list? :/

Do you realise how big IBM are? Clearly not.

 

[goobot]

LMAO to the people who don't know who general electric is.

 

[fluchtpunkt]

Are you guys actually being serious or do you not know that "unknown brand" is General Electric? They make a majority of the light bulbs, appliances, etc. in people's homes, plus things like plane engines and wind turbines. Big money.

In the US.

Not sure how it's in other parts of the world, but here in Germany GE is definitely not a consumer brand.

They sell a bunch of industry solutions, like turbines that turn gas/water/wind into energy, pumps for pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations, massive transformers and stuff like this. But I haven't seen any light bulbs or appliances made by GE. In my country GE is pretty much a business-2-business company.

 

[steve-p]

Are you guys actually being serious or do you not know that "unknown brand" is General Electric? They make a majority of the light bulbs, appliances, etc. in people's homes, plus things like plane engines and wind turbines. Big money.

This is a world brand survey, not a US one, and most people here have probably never even heard of General Electric.