Apple is the world's most valuable brand, says yet another spurious report

If it's dubious how a dollar value can be ascribed to a brand, that doesn't stop many companies trying. Recently, Apple topped the annual Brand Finance Global 500 rankings, although it then came only third in Brand Intimacy according to MBLM.

Now Kantar, which most recently reported on subscription losses at Apple Music and its rivals, says that Apple's brand is worth $947 billion.

Kantar's full report does outline the methodology behind its calculation, which it calls "The Meaningfully Different Framework." At its heart is a survey, although few details are given.

Nonetheless, however a final figure is arrived at, the same calculation is done for all companies so there is at least a point of comparison between them. So according to Kantar, the top five most valuable global brands in 2022 are:

1. Apple, worth $947,062 million
2. Google, worth $819,573 million
3. Amazon, worth $705,646 million
4. Microsoft, worth $611,460 million
5. Tencent, worth $214,023 million

"The combined value of the world's Top 100 most valuable brands has increased by 23% to $8.7 trillion over the past year," says Kantar's report, "highlighting the importance of brand strength in navigating an unsettled global economy."

"With a brand value of $947.1 [billion]," it continues, "Apple stands out for its high degree of differentiation and continued diversification across its hardware, software and services portfolio."

"Google moves up to second place and is one of the fastest risers in the ranking, increasing its brand value by 79% to $819.6 [billion]," says Kantar.