“Humanity will advance more in the next fifty years than it has in all of history – a shift driven largely by technology. This acceleration will fundamentally shift how we engage with each other, with business and with the world at large.” 

Intrigued? You should be! Interbrand’s 2022 Best Global Brand Report is here and it’s full of wisdom to get you thinking about what’s next for you and your brand. This year had the fastest rate of brand growth ever recorded, so if you want to know how important your brand is in driving economic success, you’re going to love what’s next! 

🍏  Which brands are transcending traditional category thinking? Absolutely no surprises over here, but Apple has once again dominated the ranks, taking out the highly coveted #1 spot for the tenth year in a row. Innovation, design, and customer experience are at the heart of who they are, and their brand consistency across every touchpoint is second to none. It’s going to be hard to knock them off their perch any time soon! They are in good company in the top three, followed by Microsoft and Amazon. The big tech guys strike again. This trio remains unchanged from last year; however, Microsoft has overtaken Amazon for second place. A huge achievement indeed! 

🚀  Speaking of Microsoft, they are the fastest rising brand this year! Their focus on clear direction, combined with a strong foundation of integrity doing exactly what it should – driving brand trust and increasing brand value. Watch out Apple! Other movers and shakers up the list are Tesla and Chanel, with a 32% increase in brand value. Huge! Tesla has almost cracked the top 10, and as always, we love that they help make sustainability sexy. Let’s see how Elon’s antics impact brand equity in 2023. 

👏  We all love an underdog story, so let’s hear it for the brands making it on the list for the first time this year! Airbnb, Red Bull and Xiaomi. 

• Airbnb’s strategic shift in marketing investment to be more brand driven and less dependent on ‘search engine marketing’ has created truly positive results. Airbnb has even become a noun and a verb all over the world which further proves how truly unique and ingrained in culture they are. 
• Red Bull may have the highest market share of any energy drink in the world, but their brand has truly transcended this title. Their brand ambition reaches beyond the can itself creating a “World of Red Bull” centred around athletes, events, dance and gaming through phenomenal experiences. 
• Xiamoi pioneered the concept of top-tier tech hardware at cutthroat price points, whilst building a highly engaged community base. This combination has helped make a dent in a world dominated by Samsung and Apple.  

🦸  The exponential growth of the top brands this year has seen the emergence of a  super league! This group is made of tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon, who can move in multiple directions and have built a foundation of exceptional experiences and strong integrity. So much so, they can barely even be categorised by one market because they are becoming so broad in what they do. They are building their businesses around their brand, rather than a product. It’s allowing them to move into new markets and defy category conventions, and they are reaping the rewards!  

Moving into the future, brands will need to balance exceptional experience and unparalleled integrity, in order to drive sustainable revenue growth and profit. They will need to do things right whilst having an increased focus on doing the right things. Common values shared between brands and consumer really do matter now more than ever before. And this can be seen by the kinds of brands that are represented time and time again on the list, as well as those newcomers.  Another case of making sure you walk the talk when it comes to your ESG strategy, purpose and values. 

If you are looking for some light holiday reading as we dive into the festive season, you can find the full report  here  👀  👀  👀