BrandZ, the world’s leading brand management tool, released the 2013 Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands. As Africa has over the years become investors hub for investments and business growth, African business have continually strived for global presence and prominence in terms of value and financial disposition. In this light, MTN Group, formerly M-Cell, a South Africa-based multinational mobile telecommunications company, operating in many African, European and Middle Eastern countries with its head office in Johannesburg has surfaced on among Top 100 Global Valuable Brands 2013 according to BrandZ at 79th position ahead of Airtel, Yahoo, JP. Morgan, KFC amongst others.
Both brands and consumers have continuously adjusted to constant uncertainty and sober expectations about economic growth. They fit into the calculus of consumption the impact on the natural environment, personal health, and human wellbeing along the supply chain.
According to Eileen Campbell of Millward Brown, ‘We continue to see many technology brands at the top of our ranking and there is little doubt that technology has become the lifeblood of our modern economy. That said, these brands struggled to deliver value growth in 2012. Over the past couple of years, mobile devices have sky-rocketed, but at the expense of personal computers. Likewise, hardware manufacturers have had to adapt to shifts to a more service based business model as more and more has shifted from physical equipment to cloud based solutions. As always, the ability to adapt remains paramount in this ever-important category and the nimble will inevitably be rewarded.
And it’s not just technology brands that must adapt. Increasingly, we see consumers holding brands to higher standards. Reputation has never been more important as buyers expect brands to operate in accordance with higher ideals and greater responsibility. The best brands understand and appreciate more than just what people buy. Instead, they seek to understand and deliver what people buy into. So aligning your brand’s values with those of your customers isn’t just about doing good; it’s about good business.
Shaped by these considerations, brand value appreciated. The value of the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands rose 7 percent to $2.6 trillion last year, compared with a flat performance a year ago. All but two of the 13 categories analyzed in this report improved in brand value. Technology and oil and gas declined modestly.
These results indicate that strong brands continue to regain value lost during the recession and now, in some cases, surpass their prerecession levels.
The total brand value of the BrandZ Top 100 Strong Brands Portfolio has improved 77 percent since 2006. In addition, the BrandZ Top 100 Strong Brands Portfolio, comprised of diverse public companies, appreciated 58 percent during that eight-year period, compared with a market value gain of only 23 percent by the S&P 500.
Despite a sharp decline in the growth of its brand value last year, Apple remained number one in the BrandZ Top 100 ranking, on the strength of the meaningful difference of its brand. Google moved to the number two position, marginally surpassing IBM, which continues to be the world’s most valuable B2B brand.
Click here to view the 2013 Top Valuable Brands:
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