The acceleration of AI has resulted in one of the most profound shifts in brand value, with the global top 100 now worth a record $13.1 trillion – up 22% on last year – and nine of out of the top ten being driven by the technology.
According to the 21st edition of Kantar’s BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, the rise of AI has pushed the threshold to enter the ranking to its highest level.
People are now experiencing brands through thousands of AI-shaped moments, from personalised feeds to LLMs that influence what we see and choose. As machines increasingly surface and weigh content, standing out as meaningful and different has become more important for brands, not less.
Kantar’s latest data proves that the power of brand persists, with the combined value of the BrandZ global top 100 now a record $13.1 trillion (up 22% on last year).
Three brands have simultaneously broken the trillion-dollar threshold, with Google (no.1: $1.5tn), Microsoft (no.3: $1.1tn) and Amazon (no.4: $1.0tn) joining Apple (no.2: $1.4tn).
Google’s brand value surged by 57% year-on-year to claim the number one spot for the first time since 2018, ending Apple’s four consecutive years at the top. Its rise has been carefully built around the integration of Gemini into all existing products, the introduction of agentic features in search and continued investment in data centres.
A standout in the ranking this year, Claude has debuted in the global top 100 at number 27, with a brand value of just under $100bn ($96.6bn). Meanwhile, ChatGPT recorded the highest year-on-year brand value increase, rising by 285%; the only brand in history to see a bigger increase in the top 100 was Blackberry, which rose by 390% in 2008.
Kantar UK & Ireland head of brand activation Jodie Gillary said: “Strong brands are bucking the economic gloom and continuing to outperform the S&P 500 – this year’s results show yet again how important brand is to long-term commercial success and resilience in consumer markets.
“AI is accelerating this growth and, as the technology reshapes behaviour, brand matters even more. Our data shows that one in three people in the UK would now buy directly through ChatGPT or another GenAI tool – and it’s brands which are relevant and meaningful for customers that are more likely to be noticed, suggested and reinforced by AI search.”
A defining theme in this year’s BrandZ report is the continued rise in global prominence of Asian brands, with close to a quarter (23) originating from the region. This underscores their increasing significance in the global economy and their expanding market reach worldwide.
In China, the strongest performers that have seen their brand value increase include Agricultural Bank of China (+54%), Alibaba (+51%), ICBC (+49%), Xiaomi (+48%), Tencent (+45%) and Ping An (+41%). Tencent has broken back into the top 10, entering at number 8 with a brand value of $251.6bn.
Gillary added: “While the US still dominates, Chinese brands are gaining ground abroad as well as at home. BYD, for example, has made itself extremely relevant to UK consumers with a focus on value amid the ongoing cost of living squeeze.
“For the UK, it’s great to see HSBC reclaim its position in the top 100 most valuable global brands, and we hope to see more of our fantastic British businesses breaking through in the coming years. But the bar for entry to these top spots is rising fast. UK marketers will need to act quickly – interpreting consumer signals to make confident decisions and adapt their strategies to a quickly evolving and increasingly fragmented media landscape.”
The average European brand in Kantar BrandZ’s global top 100 grew its brand value by 14% this year. That is lower growth than North America, although Europe’s cohort has seen fewer declines – only Louis Vuitton and Chanel have seen their value drop year on year amid challenging market conditions.
And while Europe is generally seen to trail the US technology sector, the growth of SAP (+6%), Siemens (+68%) and Booking.com (+33%) puts Europe ahead of Asia and North America when it comes to the average increase in brand value among business and consumer technology brands in the top 100.
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