Tech companies lead growth surge in global brand value, Apple retains top spot

LONDON: Tech companies remained among the world’s most valuable brands in 2025, benefiting from strong brand loyalty and innovations in artificial intelligence.

According to Brand Finance’s Global 500 report released on Tuesday, the total brand value of the top 500 brands rose by 10 percent to $9.5 trillion (€9.14 trillion), significantly outpacing the global economic growth rate of 3 percent. Among these, tech brands dominated, with three of the top five positions held by technology companies.

Apple reclaimed its title as the most valuable brand with a valuation of $574.5 billion (€552.94 billion), a growth of 11 percent. The company has enjoyed the top spot every year since 2021, except for 2023 when Amazon narrowly surpassed it.

Microsoft secured second place with a remarkable 35 percent increase in brand valuation to $461.1 billion (€443.8 billion). Google followed closely in third with a valuation of $413.0 billion (€397.62 billion), reflecting a 24 percent rise. Amazon landed fourth, valued at $356.4 billion (€343.2 billion), up 15 percent. Meanwhile, Walmart rounded out the top five with a brand value of $137.2 billion (€132.12 billion), experiencing a significant 42 percent growth.

Other prominent names in the top ten included Samsung, TikTok/Douyin, Facebook, Nvidia, and State Grid Corporation of China. Notably, Nvidia entered the top ten for the first time, with a staggering brand valuation increase of 98 percent over the past year.

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David Haigh, chairman and CEO of Brand Finance, highlighted that while tech companies continue to see significant growth, brands from China—such as TikTok, Pinduoduo, and BYD—are increasingly emerging as formidable challengers. He expressed optimism about the future of Chinese brands as they refine their strategies and focus on quality, anticipating further entries into the global marketplace by 2025.

The report emphasized that Apple’s recent brand value surge is attributed to strong consumer loyalty, bolstered by product launches including the iPhone 16 and iPads, as well as diversification into wearables and services. Haigh noted that over 50 percent of survey respondents view Apple as expensive yet worth the price, indicating a strong brand positioning.

Microsoft is similarly investing heavily in artificial intelligence, leveraging its partnership with DeepAI to drive innovation, while Amazon’s growth has been fueled by its cloud computing services and enhanced e-commerce capabilities. Walmart, too, has focused on expanding its marketing revenue and improving digital services to attract higher-income customers.

In terms of overall brand value distribution, the United States leads with 52.9 percent of the total brand valuation represented by 194 brands, followed by China at 15 percent with 69 brands. Germany holds 5.8 percent with 27 brands, Japan follows with 5.1 percent and 36 brands, and France accounts for 4.4 percent with 35 brands.

Banking emerged as the top industry by brand value, contributing 12.7 percent to the total, followed closely by retail at 11.4 percent, and media at 10.3 percent. The electronics sector represented 8.2 percent of total brand valuation, while the internet and software industries accounted for 6.5 percent.