Branding For Dummies®

Chapter 22. Ten Traits of the World's Most Valuable Brands

In This Chapter

• Recognizing the most valuable brands when you see them

• Aiming to share the common traits of valuable brands

Each year, Interbrand, a global branding consultancy, and BusinessWeek magazine publish a ranking of the best global brands by value. The study is widely considered the most significant and influential brand and marketing survey. The 2006 report concluded that the following brands are the most valuable in the world:

Table 22.1. 22-1:

#1 Coca‐Cola	#11 Citi
#2 Microsoft	#12 Marlboro
#3 IBM	#13 Hewlett‐Packard
#4 GE	#14 American Express
#5 Intel	#15 BMW
#6 Nokia	#16 Gillette
#7 Toyota	#17 Louis Vuitton
#8 Disney	#18 Cisco
#9 McDonald's	#19 Honda
#10 Mercedes‐Benz	#20 Samsung

The traits that the Interbrand/BusinessWeek report found common to every brand on this list are summarized in this chapter.

As you dive into the branding process, prepare yourself to encounter the same conversation over and over. People will ask what you're doing, and when you say that you're developing a brand or managing a branding program, they'll give you a blank stare and ask (we know, we've heard it for years), “A brand? You mean like on a horse or cow?” Here's what to say: “No. A brand like on the products that you know and trust more than all others.” Then reel off the names of any of the brands in the preceding list. People will immediately recognize the names and begin to understand why you're devoting your efforts to build even a fraction of the ...