No need to hold your breaths; it’s Apple again!

Interbrand just announced its Best Global Brands 2018 and gave first place to Apple. Google was second only to Apple and once again the tech giant could not make it to the top. Wondering how did Apple get ranked above Google? Well, it’s not only about popularity (a major chunk of it? yes), there are certain parameters on which the ranking is based.

The two important parameters on which the ranking is based are (1) brand strength, (2) growth history. Within brand strength, there are certain factors that are thoroughly checked. These factors are further sub-divided into (a) external, and (b) internal. The external factors include clarity, commitment, governance, and responsiveness. The internal factors include relevance, differentiation, engagement, consistency, authenticity, and presence.

The overall brand strength is based on the three top-performing features for each of the brands. Then comes the second part i.e., growth history. Interbrand closely monitors as to which brand has soon flexibility when it comes to evolving with the needs of the customers.

It won’t be wrong to quote the example of the Nokia Lumia series that although evolved, failed to bring something completely new to the table. Speaking of which Nokia could not secure a spot in the top 100 of the Interbrand’s list.

For Apple, its growth history made a huge impact and it won’t be wrong to say that it’s the reason why Apple managed to top the list. Apple’s exponential growth over the last few years made it worth 214,480 $m. And to our surprise, Google is not even close with 155,506 $m.

Compared to Apple, Google’s growth history graph has been a bit steep. The company did make progress over the last few years but did not quite ‘rule’ the market, to put it simply.

Microsoft took the 4th spot. Wondering who has beaten Microsoft at number 3? Can you guess? It’s Amazon. Amazon has been sprinkling its Alexa stardust on literally every device it comes up with. And you and I know how much of a sucker millennials are for AI, right? If you look at Amazon’s growth curve, you’ll notice that it beats Apple right there and then. Yes, Interbrand has announced that Amazon is the top growing company and is only ranked below three others because of its current worth which is 100,764 $m.

Samsung came in 6th while Huawei managed to get the 68th spot. Surprisingly, Sony took the 59th spot.

As far as the automobile giants are concerned, BMW made it to 13, Ford 35, Hyundai 36, Nissan 40, Volkswagen 41, and finally Audi at 42.

Another interesting figure this year was Netflix’s. It was ranked as one of the top growing companies. Our favorite streaming service took the 66th spot. Although Disney was ranked way up Netflix, at 14th, it’s growth history was not as solid as Netflix.

All in all, Interbrand’s ranking clearly indicates how long have the companies come when it comes to their growth. For a detailed report, visit Interbrand and find out whether your favorite brand made it to the top 100 or not.