The ranking is based on three key components that contribute to a brand’s cumulative value (not the market capitalisation value):

• The financial performance of the branded products and services;
• The role the brand plays in influencing customer choice; and
• The strength the brand has to command a premium price or secure earnings for the company.

For the fourth year in a row, Apple, Google, and Coca-Cola are the three most valuable brands. But what is more interesting is that more than half the top 20 are technology-related companies.

Standout performers this year were Facebook (up 48% to number 15), Amazon (up 33% to 8) and Samsung (up 14% to 7). IBM lost 19% of its brand value (6).

Outside the top 20 were more tech companies. Those experiencing double digit brand value growth included:

Adobe up 21% (63), Huawei 18% (72), PayPal 14% (90), SAP 13% (22), and Siemens 10% (52).

HP (the printer and computer maker) was new to the list at 48th place and HPE (enterprise) was at 44. Tesla snuck in at 100.

You can see the full top 100 chart here.

Samsung is perhaps the most interesting as it has ranked within Interbrand’s Top 10 for the past five years and continually demonstrated growth in brand value. Over the past 10 years its brand value has increased by 320%.

The increase reflects Samsung becoming a more aspirational brand with premium products in mobile, TV, and home appliances – as well as its consumer-centric marketing activities and innovation that strengthen the company’s brand power.

“Value of a brand becomes even more significant as markets rapidly change and competition intensifies,” said Moon Soo Kim, executive vice-president of Global Marketing Centre at Samsung Electronics. “We will maintain our mid and long-term marketing efforts to deliver our sincerity and distinctiveness to our customers.”