In January 2018, we published the first version of this post, analysing the positioning of the most valuable brands in the world. Brand value estimates vary depending on who’s doing the calculations (you can read more here about why those differences exist). However, at the time of our article, the most widely referenced rankings, including Interbrand’s 2017 Best Global Brands, were almost unanimous: Apple, Google and Microsoft occupied the top three spots, followed by Coca-Cola.
As of 2025, according to the latest Interbrand Best Global Brands ranking (published at the end of 2024), the top of the list looks a bit different.
The increase in brand value among tech companies has been spectacular.
Google’s brand value has grown by more than 100% since 2017, which is impressive in itself but relatively modest compared to the other top performers. As a result, it has dropped from second to fourth place in the ranking.
Apple’s brand value has risen by 165%, allowing it to retain its number one position.
Microsoft has seen a 340% increase, making it the second most valuable brand in the world.
The brand that has soared the most is Amazon, whose value has grown by over 360% in just a few years. It now ranks third globally, according to Interbrand.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola’s brand value has declined by more than 12% since 2017.
Interestingly, what makes these four brands stand out is not the uniqueness of their positioning, but its relevance combined with the company’s product offering, high marketing spend and strong execution capabilities (which are the key characteristics of a successful brand strategy. We wrote about them here).
No. 4 Google – organising the world’s information
Google‘s mission is “to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”.
With its diverse portfolio of products (Search, Maps, Chrome and more), Google helps people learn more about the world around them and enables them to find virtually any information they need. Even though Google isn’t a creator or publisher of most of this content, its ability to interpret search intent and surface trustworthy results has, in the eyes of many, made it a reliable source of knowledge in its own right. As a result, the Google brand is often associated with wisdom and intelligence. To reinforce this perception, the company increasingly uses AI to make its search results more accurate, relevant and personalised.
It’s easy to forget that, for years, Google was reluctant to promote its brand and rarely advertised. This started to change in the mid-2010s, when the company realised that people wouldn’t discover many of its products without effective marketing communication.
No. 3 Amazon – the most customer-centric company
Amazon sees itself as “a company of pioneers”, “inventing on behalf of customers”. It continuously experiments and enters new sectors – from fashion and groceries to consumer electronics and streaming services. The company acknowledges that not all of its ventures will succeed, but it embraces this risk as part of its long-term strategy. Jeff Bezos, the company’s executive chairman and former president and CEO, explained: “Our passion for pioneering will drive us to explore narrow passages, and, unavoidably, many will turn out to be blind alleys. But – with a bit of good fortune – there will also be a few that open up into broad avenues.”
Amazon’s brand strategy represents an extreme version of a customer-centric approach. It is anchored in three rational benefits: lower prices, wider selection, and convenient services (initially defined as “delivery convenience” through the lens of e-commerce). These benefits have been core to Amazon’s brand DNA for years and are treated as long-term strategic constants.
Since Amazon began entering new categories (e.g., consumer electronics and streaming services), it has been competing with companies whose brand and communication strategies rely much more heavily on emotional engagement. As a result, Amazon has gradually moved towards a more emotive approach, making its communication warmer and more human.
Amazon is also well-known as an employer brand and a clearly articulated employer value proposition (EVP). The EVP aligns with Amazon’s broader brand strategy and is built around the company’s 16 leadership principles, which form the foundation of its internal culture (e.g., “Bias for Action,” “Deliver Results,” “Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit”).
No. 2 Microsoft – empowering people and organisations to achieve more
Microsoft’s brand and communications strategy has changed noticeably since Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014. The company introduced a new mission statement, “Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more”, to bring a sense of unity to its separate business entities. Additionally, Microsoft placed a stronger emphasis on communicating the overarching brand to make sure that people associate Microsoft with some of its well-known products. Before that, Microsoft had been known for its product-centred communication. It rarely promoted its masterbrand and was more concerned with explaining the features of its advertised products. Now, it focuses on consumer benefits and brand-building activities instead.
Microsoft has also changed its tone of voice, moving away from corporate jargon towards a more human and emotionally engaging style.
No. 1 Apple – creating a better world through technology and design
For many years, Apple was a challenger brand on a mission to revolutionise the personal computer market. Although Apple’s core belief (“people with passion can change the world for the better”) hasn’t changed, its communication strategy and messaging have. Apple outgrew the challenger’s role, expanded its product portfolio significantly and became one of the market leaders. As a result, the brand had to apply a more mainstream approach to its communication: it moved from symbolism to more literal messaging and from image-driven communication to product campaigns showcasing the benefits of its flagship products. It’s also apparent that Apple’s recent ads build a warmer image of the brand and are more human and humorous than they were in the past, when their tone of voice was more uplifting and aspirational.
Apple’s approach to communication is unique in a few respects. First, the company builds a premium image of its brand in an unprecedentedly consistent way – it doesn’t offer any discounts and never leads its communication with a price message. It is famous for its secretive culture, which is especially apparent in how it launches new products and services – always creating a sense of mystery leading to a big revelation. Another unusual strategy the company applies is consciously building distance between its brand and consumers (more in line with the approach employed by luxury brands rather than tech companies) – Apple’s presence on social media is limited as it prefers to communicate via big above-the-line campaigns (often using celebrity endorsement) and tightly controlled PR activities.
To stay relevant, each of the four most valuable brands in the world has gone through significant changes in their approach to branding and communication. Google has launched more brand and marketing activities, Microsoft has changed its mission and placed greater emphasis on the umbrella brand, Amazon has shifted to a more emotive style of communication, and Apple has adopted a more mainstream approach and has also begun focusing its communication on flagship products rather than the overarching Apple brand.
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Magda Adamska is the founder of BrandStruck.
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