Coca-Cola and L'Oréal among Best Global Brands in 2018

Interbrand has unveiled the Best Global Brands in 2018 with Amazon, Spotify, and Netflix taking top spots, and FMCG brands featuring heavily in the top 100.

Soft drinks giant Coca-Cola took the 5th spot while L’Oréal, Nestle, Corona, Heineken, Kellogg’s, Pampers were among the others recognised for their brand value.

“A decade after the global financial crisis, the brands that are growing fastest today are those that intuitively understand their customers and make brave, iconic moves that delight and deliver in new ways,” said Charles Trevail global chief executive officer, Interbrand.

“When looking at our Best Global Brands data over the last 10 years, it’s clear that Role of Brand is more important and valuable than ever, and has continued to help leading organizations accelerate growth, even at a time when an overall sense of trust in institutions has been in steep decline. We live in a world where consumers have more power than ever, curating their own personal brands like we’ve never seen before.”

Makeup giant L’Oréal has upped its digital innovations which has transformed customers relationships with the brand. The ModiFace app, which was acquired by the cosmetics business, allows customers to experience a live, step-by-step tutorial with a makeup advisor to virtually try on personalized makeup looks and shop online.

Retail giant Amazon has ventured into the supermarket sector with healthy grocery, Whole Foods. Customers can now purchase sustainably-sourced groceries from Whole Foods through Amazon Prime and even have them delivered straight to their door.

Interbrand said in a statement that there is a significant difference between customer-first and customer-centric. Being truly customer-centric today means going more in depth by offering a product or service that the shopper wants. Brands should be able to truly know how customers think, feel and behave so they can deliver an ultimate experience.

It further said that companies should anticipate emerging customer needs and evolve their business and brand at a speed to adapt to the changing retail and FMCG landscape. The company recognised that leading brands are now collaborating with their customers to put out solutions which brings on board the voice of consumers in every aspect of their businesses.

“Change is imperative, and making bold moves is critical to long-term success. But, it can’t be anarchy. The whole company cannot simply innovate and change now to meet the short term expectations of customers. There has to be a vision which galvanizes the organization and gives it the confidence to make the right choices to transform. After all, that is what a strong brand does: empowers you to activate brave,” said Interbrand.

FMCG global brands such as Budweiser, Hennessy, Johnson & Johnson, Jack Daniels, Johnnie Walker and Shell also made the top 100 list this year.

Top 10 most valuable brands 2018