The most influential brands 2012: Forbes ranking

Apple has topped Forbes magazine's list of the most powerful brands. Its brand value has grown by 52% in two years and is now valued at $87.1 billion.

When compiling the ranking, Forbes assessed company revenues over the past three years and the share of profits, which is based on the role that a particular brand plays in its industry. Next, consulting firms Landor and PSB conducted a study of 2,000 consumers around the world to evaluate 130 brands, each of which was worth more than $2.5 billion. Consumer perceptions were assessed using dozens of criteria.

Apple remains a leader in innovation and has a loyal following around the world. The influence of the brand allowed the company to earn a profit of $40 billion in 12 months. According to this indicator, Apple ranks second in the world after Exxon Mobil, the largest private oil company from the United States.

In second place is Microsoft, which topped the rating of consumer preferences. Its brand value is estimated at $54.7 billion, which is 59% less than Apple. At the same time, Microsoft annually spends twice as much on advertising - $1.6 billion.

The third place is occupied by Coca-Cola. Its brand value is estimated at $50 billion. The company took 29th place in the ranking of consumer preferences.

Overall, the ranking is dominated by high-tech companies. Right after Coca-Cola are IBM (valued at $48.5 billion), Google ($37.6 billion) and Intel ($32.3 billion). At the same time, Facebook occupies only 73rd place. The brand's value is estimated at $13.1 billion, but the company received low results in a consumer survey - only 99th place. According to analysts, about a billion users of the social network are still concerned about privacy issues on the Internet.

The top ten of the ranking also includes McDonald's (brand value - $37.4 billion, 85th place in the ranking of consumer preferences), General Electric ($33.7 billion and 49th place), BMW ($26.3 billion and fifth place) and Cisco ($26.3 billion and 15th place).

Samsung took 12th place ($19.3 billion and ninth place in the ranking of consumer preferences), Disney — 13th ($19 billion and eighth line), Louis Vuitton — 17th ($24.5 billion and 93rd) , Gilette - 18th ($16.8 billion and 14th), Nescafe - 20th ($17.4 billion and 27th).

*Fotobank · Getty Images*
Apple

Apple is the most powerful brand in the world. Its value is estimated at $87.1 billion. The company took 11th place in the consumer perception rating.

The release of new iPhone models has already become the most anticipated event of the year in the telecommunications sector. The company presented the latest version of the gadget, iPhone 5, on September 12, 2012. Over the first weekend, more than five million copies of the smartphone were sold.

“Apple sets the pace, changes categories and responds to our needs even before we realize them,” says Billy Mann, managing director of consulting firm Penn Schoen Berland.

*Fotobank · Getty Images*
Microsoft

Microsoft's brand value is $54.7 billion. Bill Gates' company topped the consumer perception rating. Users note the company's "positive" role in their daily lives and the fact that it meets their personal unique needs. However, Microsoft's brand value fell 3% over two years, placing it below Apple in the rankings. At the same time, analysts note that in an industry that changes every year, Bill Gates’ company has remained a leader for several decades.

*REUTERS · 2012*
Coca Cola

The Coca-Cola brand value is $50.2 billion. The company ranks 29th in the consumer perception rating. Last year, Coca-Cola sold 26.7 million cases of sparkling water, with half of its sales coming from its brand. In the US, the company is partly blamed for the problem of obesity among the population; demand for soda among Americans has declined over the past seven years. However, Coca-Cola remains the best-selling brand in its segment. Its retail sales in 2011 exceeded $1 billion in 18 countries.

*Fotobank · Getty Images*
IBM

IBM's brand value is $48.5 billion. The company ranks 20th in the ranking of consumer preferences. Back in the nineties, IBM was perceived as a “dinosaur” and was predicted to die soon. However, over the past two decades, the company has been able to re-emerge as a powerful technology and software brand.

*REUTERS · 2012*
Google

Google's brand value is $37.6 billion, its place in the consumer perception ranking is 7. The company's name has become a household term in the field of Internet search. At the same time, unlike Kleenex and Xerox, which have also become symbols of their industry, Google makes a lot of money. In 2012, the company's profit already amounted to $12.2 billion, excluding interest and taxes for 2011.

*REUTERS · 2012*
Intel

The Intel brand scores highly in both financial performance and consumer perception. The value of the brand is estimated at $32.3 billion. In 2011, the company earned $17.5 billion before taxes. It ranks sixth in the consumer perception ranking. At the same time, Intel turned out to be the most “masculine” brand, taking first place in the survey among men.

*REUTERS · 2012*
McDonald's

Brand value: $37.4 billion. The world's most famous fast food chain ranks only 85th in consumer perception rankings. However, more than 33,000 McDonald's cafes serve 68 million people every day in 119 countries. This allowed the company to enter the top ten in the final ranking of the world's most influential brands.

*Fotobank · Getty Images*
GE

The brand value is $33.7 billion. The company ranks 49th in the consumer perception rating. GE's reputation and market value have declined over the past 10 years, but the company remains a powerful force in the industrial sector and an iconic brand. It is worth noting that General Electric is the only company that has been present in the Dow Jones Industrial Average since its inception in 1896.

*REUTERS · 2012*
BMW

Brand value: $26.3 billion. Fifth place in the consumer perception rating. At the same time, the famous German car brand took first place in the consumer rating in the category “high quality products and services.” The concern is the world market leader in the sale of luxury cars.

*Fotobank · Getty Images*
CISCO

Brand value: $26.3 billion, 15th place in the consumer perception rating. The company, which closes the top 10 most influential brands, positions itself as a global leader in the field of network technologies. The advertising strategy is based on the fact that with the help of the company's services people communicate with each other on work issues and during leisure time. This has made Cisco a family-owned, home-grown brand.

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The most influential brands 2012: Forbes ranking

Apple

Microsoft

Coca Cola

IBM

Google

Intel

McDonald's

GE

BMW

CISCO