Amazon Tops Apple, Google To Become World's Most Valuable Brand

(RTTNews) - Amazon topped Apple and Google to become the world's most valuable brand in 2019 after its brand value jumped 52 percent from last year to $315.5 billion. Technology companies are ruling the roost, accounting for a majority of the top six valuable brands.

Apple is in the second position with a brand value of $309.5 billion, and Google came third with a value of $309.0 billion.

The survey was published in the annual "BrandZ Top 100" list. It was released today by the advertising and public relations giant WPP and its market research arm, Kantar Millward Brown at the New York Stock Exchange.

The brand value of Apple and Google rose by a modest 3 percent and 2 percent respectively, to end the technology giants' 12-year dominance.

Ever since the release of the first BrandZ Top 100 ranking in 2006, the list has been generally populated at the top by technology companies. Microsoft took the top spot in 2006.

Microsoft stays at the fourth position in this year's top ten list, followed by Visa, Facebook, and two Chinese companies Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings in that order. McDonald's was ranked ninth, while AT&T maintained its tenth position. Facebook also remained in the sixth position.

The two Chinese companies, Alibaba and Tencent, continue to be in the list after entering the elite group last year. However, Alibaba overtook Tencent for the first time and became the most valuable Chinese brand.

Alibaba moved up two places to the seventh spot, growing 16 percent to $131.2 billion, while Tencent dropped three places to the eighth spot, declining by 27 percent to $130.9 billion year-on-year.

Chinese mobile handset brand Xiaomi was a new entrant this year, at no. 74, with brand value of $19.8 billion. Instagram at no.44, with brand value of $28.2 billion, climbed 47 places, registering a 95 percent growth in brand value.

The total brand value of the 2019 BrandZ Top 100 added $328 billion from last year to $4.7 trillion, roughly the combined GDP of Spain, Korea and Russia. Technology, finance and retail categories dominated, accounting for more than two-thirds of the total value of brands.

Nine newcomers appear in the Top 100, predominantly driven by Chinese and US technology brands with disruptive business models including Dell Technologies, Xbox, Haier, Meituan and Xiaomi.

Asian brands increased their presence with 15 Chinese, three Indian, and one Indonesian brand making the 2019 BrandZ Top 100 ranking list.