Customer Experience Emerges as Critical Factor, Along with Innovation, Boosting Brands in the 2019 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable US Brands Ranking - Seite 3

Overall, the BrandZ Top 100 US brands grew 15% in the last year to $3.65 trillion, a combined value that is nearly one fifth (19.6%) of US GDP. They generate more value for their businesses than brands in any other country in the world.  

"US brands excel at globalization," said WPP's David Roth. "The fact that they are so entwined in the lives of consumers around the world means they are often not thought of as American. This has helped to disconnect them from the political turmoil in the last year. It is an advantage not shared by brands that are less global and more connected to their country's DNA. Their independence from the US is further demonstrated by the fact that they account for roughly half the value of the BrandZ Global Top 100 ranking."

Other trends highlighted in this year's BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable US Brands report and ranking are:

• Polarization of value and premium - brand growth mirrors the US economy with more brands focused on providing value and premium offers. Value retailer Walmart and membership retailer Costco grew by 11% to $30.7 billion and 19% to $19.9 billion respectively, while Apple further cemented its luxury brand credentials with the launch of the iPhone X. The multinational tech company's most expensive phone proves that innovation and services can justify a price premium.
• Meaningfully different brands grew 78% more in the last year. A key driver of brand value growth US brands are among the most different in the world (only behind Indonesia's top brands). The fastest risers - Netflix, Paypal, Amazon and Instagram - are all powered by their difference as are newcomers to the ranking such as Uber and HBO.
• Newcomers drive big value growth in the ranking - 11 newcomers joined the ranking this year. Their average value is $10.58 billion, 77% higher than the average for brands that dropped out of the Top 100, indicating the high entry brand value threshold of innovative and disruptive newcomers to the ranking. Uber was the most valuable newcomer (no.35, $21.1 billion) followed by Dell Technologies (no.45) and Xbox (no.51).
• Strong brands beat the stock market. The BrandZ US Strong Brands Portfolio increased 19.8% between November 2017 and August 2018, compared with 12.6% for the S&P500. This means they created 1.57 times as much value for shareholders.
• B2B brands - All B2B brands in the BrandZ US Top 100 notched up huge gains in brand value this year: Accenture (+30%), Adobe (+66%) Salesforce (+44%) and Oracle (+18%). As consumer expectations soar that may soon translate to higher expectations in the business world too.
• Brands with purpose - More and more consumers are rewarding brands not merely for making great products but sharing their values. Nike's promotion of controversial celebrities known for taking a stand, such as Serena Williams and quarterback Colin Kaepernick, has helped reinforce consumers' strong emotional connection with Nike. This year, the brand gained 37% in value and moved up the ranking to no.18.

The BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable US Brands report and ranking, as well as other brand insights for key regions of the world and 18 market sectors, are available online here. The reports, rankings, charts, articles and more can also be accessed through the BrandZ app, which is free to download for Apple IOS and all Android devices from www.brandz.com/mobile or by searching for BrandZ in the iTunes or Google Play app stores.