(NewsNation) — For the third year in a row Apple is the world’s most valuable brand, surpassing $1 trillion in brand value for the first time, according to a new ranking by Kantar’s BrandZ.
The Silicon Valley iPhone maker beat out fellow tech brands Google ($753 billion), Microsoft ($713 billion) and Amazon ($577 billion). Burger giant McDonald’s retained its fifth spot, with a brand valued at $222 billion.
The top five, unchanged from Kantar’s rankings a year ago, reflect “technology’s enduring place in everyday life,” the report said.
The full list of top 10 brands are:
- Apple: $1.01 trillion
- Google: $753 billion
- Microsoft: $713 billion
- Amazon: $577 billion
- McDonald’s: $222 billion
- NVIDIA: $202 billion
- Visa: $189 billion
- Facebook: $167 billion
- Oracle: $145 billion
- Tencent: $135 billion
Next year’s list could see a shakeup near the top thanks to surging artificial intelligence titan Nvidia. The U.S. chipmaker’s brand value is now $202 billion, up almost 180% since last year, placing it sixth on Kantar’s 2024 rankings.
“This year, brands investing in AI are seeing remarkable gains by reaping the benefits of enhanced customer experience,” the report said.
Earlier this week, Apple unveiled its new personalized AI software, Apple Intelligence. The company’s take on generative AI could lead many to upgrade their iPhones, boosting sales.
Apple stock surged following the announcement and, as of Wednesday, the company is the most valuable in the world by market capitalization with a valuation of $3.33 trillion.
As for other top brands in the report, Corona was the most valuable beer brand thanks to its growth in countries like Brazil, China and South Africa, Kantar said.
Nike was the top apparel brand on the list, although its gap has narrowed with competitors like Zara and Lululemon gaining ground.
Louis Vuitton topped the luxury category with a brand valuation of $130 billion.
Kantar said its global rankings are based on the opinions of more than 4.3 million consumers about 21,000 different brands across 532 categories.