What do Australian supermarkets, telcos and banks all have in common?
Each of them has made it to the Brand Finance Global 500, a study of the world’s strongest and most valuable brands.
Woolworths holds Australia’s top spot with a total brand value of USD$10 billion at 109 on the global brand valuation list ahead of its rival Coles at 179.
Telstra sits at 140 on the list, with a total brand value of USD$8.3 billion, but is well ahead of its rival Optus which ranks at 411.
ANZ, at 214 on the list is the most valuable bank brand in Australia at USD$5.9 million. It may have been helped along by its sponsorship of the Australian Open which resulted in an estimated 70 million Chinese viewers being exposed to the ANZ brand. It is followed by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia at 235, the National Australia Bank at 269 and Westpac at 275 whose brand value grew many more times than its competitors.
On the world stage, Ferrari is the world’s most powerful brand. The Italian car maker scores highly when it comes to desirability, loyalty and consumer sentiment as well as visual identity, online presence and employee satisfaction. This earns it a AAA+ brand rating and the highest overall score in the powerful brand category. Ferrari is one of only eleven brands including Google, Hermès, Coca-Cola, Disney, Rolex and Red Bull to score the AAA+ rating.
When it comes to brand value Ferrari is much further down the list. Its USD$4billion brand value puts it at 350th in brand value terms. Apple’s brand value is USD$105 billion which makes it the most valuable brand in the world. Apple is still a powerful brand with a AAA rating from Brand Finance.
The Brand Finance Global 500 is an annual study conducted by a brand valuation consultancy, Brand Finance. Brand Finance calculates brand value by determining the royalties a corporation would have to pay to license its brand if it did not own it, known as the ‘royalty relief’ method. As well as a brand value, each of the 500 brands in the table is accorded a brand rating; a benchmark of the strength, risk and potential of a brand relative to its competitors, expressed as a letter code from AAA+ to D, similar to a credit rating.
Anita Brown, Associate