It looks like Amazon has broken the 12-year stranglehold of Apple and Google at the top of the 100 global brands.
According to Kantar’s latest global BrandZ ranking, Amazon’s value is now at US$315.5 billion, while Apple is at US$309.1 billion and Google at US$309 billion.
Speaking to Marketing Week, Graham Staplehurst, BrandZ’s global strategy director says that Amazon’s rise has seen it evolve from an online, price-led retailer to an ‘ecosystem brand’.
“It has successfully connected the values and positive brand associations from one business – ease of use, speed, reliability – to other areas,” he added.
Staplehurst says that Amazon has diversified into a range of offers from cloud computing to smart devices, from payment systems to the best in entertainment.
“As the boundaries between traditional businesses blur, Amazon has been ideally positioned to seize emerging opportunities,” he explained.
Overall, the top 100 has gained almost a third of a trillion dollars ($328bn) in value over the past year to reach $4.7tn – roughly the combined GDP of Spain, Korea and Russia.
Source: Marketing Week