According to a new report published this morning, Apple has retained the title of the world’s most valuable brand following a 35% increase to US$355.1 billion – the highest brand value ever recorded in the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking.

Apple had a stellar 2021, highlighted by its achievement at the start of 2022 – being the first company to reach a US$3 trillion market valuation. The tech giant’s success historically lied in honing its core brand positioning, but its more recent growth can be attributed to the company’s recognition that its brand can be applied effectively to a much broader range of services.

The iPhone still accounts for around half of the brand’s sales. However, this year saw Apple give more attention to its other suite of products with a new generation of iPads, an overhaul to the iMac, and introduction of AirTags. Its range of services, from Apple Pay to Apple TV, has also gone from strength to strength and become of increasing importance to the brand’s success.

Additionally, Apple knows the importance of being in tune with its customers for maintaining brand equity. Privacy and the environment are salient topics, and Apple bolstered its credentials on both fronts. This is evidenced by a greater transparency of the App Store’s privacy policy, reinforcing the trust customers have in the brand, and the announcement that more of Apple’s manufacturing partners will be moving to 100% renewable energy, as the company aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.

David Haigh, Chairman & CEO of Brand Finance: "Apple commands an amazing level of brand loyalty, largely thanks to its reputation for quality and innovation. Decades of hard work put into perfecting the brand have seen Apple become a cultural phenomenon, which allows it to not only compete, but thrive in a huge number of markets. With rumors abounding of its foray into electric vehicles and virtual reality, it seems it is ready for a new leap."

Major Points of the Report

• Apple holds on to world’s most valuable brand title with record valuation at more than US$355 billion, followed by Amazon and Google
• New entrant TikTok named world’s fastest-growing brand, up 215%, leading global revolution in media consumption
• Tech remains most valuable industry, while second-ranked retail crosses US$1 trillion mark following 46% brand value growth during COVID-19 pandemic
• Development of COVID-19 vaccines sees pharma named fastest-growing industry, while tourism sector remains below pre-pandemic valuation
• US and China continue to dominate claiming 2/3 of brand value in ranking, while India sees fastest-growth over course of pandemic among top nations, up 42%
• WeChat named world’s strongest brand for second consecutive year with top score of 93.3 out of 100 and elite AAA+ rating
• Microsoft’s Satya Nadella comes out top in Brand Finance Brand Guardianship Index 2022 of world’s top 250 CEOs

For more details, read the full report by Brand Finance.