Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) again tops Forbes’ Most Valuable Brand List. The Cupertino-based tech giant is valued at $124.2 billion, a valuation that puts the company at twice as much as other tech companies on Forbes’ list including Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).
To reach the conclusion, Forbes considered key factors such as the number of products Apple moved this year. Considering the fact that it wasn’t long ago that Apple introduced two new iPhones and iPads, it was only a natural choice to select Apple.
Apple beats competition
The iPhone maker also received top marks earlier this year in South Korea when it creamed competitors Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:0059935) and LG Electronics Inc. (KRX:066570) (OTCMKTS:LGEAF) for customer satisfaction. For the past three years, it also scored the title for “Coolest Brand.”
Forbes ranks Microsoft as the second most valuable brand. It is valued at $63 billion, a number that’s up 11% this year after remaining flat the previous three years. This increase can be attributed to the company’s focus on mobile and cloud offerings. David Reibstein (University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School marketing professor) explained, “There is a lot of catching up to do. They are going to have to work to overcome the brand disadvantage they have in those areas.”
Google’s ad business takes it to third spot
Google shot up three spaces to third place. It’s up 19% to a value of $56.6 billion. Google’s ad business is one of it’s most successful. The search giant generated over $16 billion in earnings (not counting interest or taxes) over the last year. Last year, the company spent $2.8 billion in advertising, making it the largest ad spender in the tech industry. Reibstein added, “With a well known brand, people trust it a lot more, and part of what is happening with Google is a matter of trust.”
The entire list of Forbes’ most valuable brands spans across 15 different countries and 20 categories. Over half of the companies on the list are based in the United States. Tech and automotive brands remained the biggest categories.
See full list here.
