Apple, tech titans lead US brands to world domination

The European Brand Institute's annual brand-value survey is out, and Europe has little to boast about: not one European brand made it into the top ten. In fact, each of the world's ten most valuable brands identified by the Eurobrand2011 survey are from the good ol' US of A, with Apple standing on top of the pack. Four of the …

[David Webb]

Oh, it's easy to figure out. The US top 10...

You take your iPhone to McDonalds where you order a Coke, you pull out an old IBM laptop running Microsoft Windows, tether it to your iPhone and bring up Google to search the net, on AT&T's network, after drinking the coke and scoffing a McD you have a strong desire for some antacids so grab some made by Proctor and Gamble.

I'd take the results with a huge pile of salt, Putting Shell as a British company (Royal Dutch Shell is a bit of a give away there) should have put up a flag. HSBC? Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. They can't even spell Vodafone :) Although Voda (#16) is a 45% holder in Verizon (#17) so why wasn't that taken into account? If it was then Voda would be 2nd place which is why the survey is basically a lotta rubbish.

[cloudgazer]

Erm, Shell is an Anglo-Dutch firm, HQ is in the Hague but the registered office is in London -Shell centre on the south bank.

HSBC is indeed a British bank, and their HQ is in Canada Square, Canary wharf.

While the survey may be dodgy, your complaints are completely bogus.

[David Webb]

Shell is 60% owned by the Dutch and 40% by the British, that would tend to suggest it is indeed a majority Dutch company, it's HQ is indeed in Holland, two things there which suggest that, you know, it's not exactly British.

HSBC was founded, as the name suggests, in Hong Kong, it was required to relocate it's HQ in to the UK.

Look at Cadbury, a British company now owned by an American company, it's HQ is now in the US, does that make Cadburys an American company? (Kraft is the HQ for Cadbury)

[Hardcastle the ancient]

Cadbury certainly ain't British now

[Daniel B.]

HSBC is British

That's why they relocated to the UK.

In fact, that's why they even exist at all! As a bank to do trade between British Hong Kong and mainland China, hence the Hong Kong-Shanghai Banking Corp.

[nyelvmark]

...may be a thoroughly meaningless data point...

Indeed. How does the "Eurobrand2011 survey " arrive at its conclusions? Where (cynicism mode: on) does it get its funding? And how much importance should we ascribe to the conclusions of this survey (of whom?)?

>>the Institute didn't provide a clear definition of "brand value".

Enough said.

[Anonymous Coward]

4 important questions

Yeah? And? So? What?

Seems we're essentially saying that America does well with soft drinks, fast food and tech devices to zone out to while slurping and munching on soft drinks and fast food.

By an amazing coincidence the English happen to start their day with Marmite on toast and then spend the rest of it smoking and boozing - you could knock me down with a feather!

[Drew V.]

Which suggests to me the possibility that neither society has much to look forward to, other than a slow spiral into obese, brain-dead decadence. But that's probably assuming too much from too little information.

In any case, the term "brand corporation" makes me want to throw up as much as that double cheeseburger with coke did on a trip to Virginia. It paints a picture of corporations branching out into whatever industry they can stuff with shoddy product. "Why certainly I will buy a car made by Coca Cola. It is my favorite soft drink after all...waddaya mean it's actually made by a different corporation employing Indian kids?? Surely not if it's got the Coca Cola label on it!"

[Robert E A Harvey]

I strongly suspect the the Brits are top at harris tweed, shotguns, leather thigh boots, and grousemoor as well.

[Anonymous Coward]

Beer

Having sampled American beer, it's hardly surprising that there are no American booze merchants on the list. Brown ale and meat pies. That's all you need to conquer a planet!

[Anonymous Coward]

Which is why you are sinking, to much eating and drinking over there to actually come up with anything compared to the US.

[Tom 38]

On the other hand, its probably more due to the fact that from 1920-1933 all alcohol production was illegal in the US, and the vast majority of breweries were permanently shut down.

[Robert E A Harvey]

Lets see if I've got this right?

What we are saying is the ten most famous US companies are from the USA?

Is that it?

[DaveS]

Vodaphone?

The fact that you cannot even spell Vodafone correctly - says a lot about the author, and probably the editor as well

[Aleph0]

Not even Telefónica and ProctEr and Gamble. Three typos in less than thirty (supposedly well-known) brand names doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the analysis results...

[Chris Miller]

BHP Billiton?

How can they be said to have a valuable brand? Hands up anyone who'd heard of them or can name a subsidiary - don't touch that Google button - thought not. Anyone seen adverts for them on TV or bought their products ... no?

The BHP bit is Broken Hill Proprietary, whose name may be familiar - they're the largest business in *Australia*, mining 'natch.

[Russ Tarbox]

How the hell do people continue to misspell "Vodafone"

One of the world's biggest brands, their logo splashed in all manner of places including international sporting events, and yet a survey specifically about brands can't even spell it right.

[ScottME]

Not just Vodafone

They can't spell Telefonica either.

[Hatless Pemberty]

Hope for the World

I'm so glad to see that so many of these companies are so well known for their corporate probity, care for the well-being of others and quality customer service. It just goes to show that companies need not be greedy sociopaths in order to succeed.

Mine is the no-coat because I feel all warm inside now.

[Dropper]

Vodafone..

No, I get it, if a company let a 3 year old register their company name that's fine, but if the rest of us have the audacity to show a phone company how to spell the word phone, then by golly that isn't okay!!

Actually I do understand. They used the extremely clever technique of using the letter 'f' instead of 'ph' to give their brand a modern, yoof-friendly, leet-5pe@q, feel. I don't know why they didn't go all the way and just register themselves as v0d@p4on3.

[Naughtyhorse]

v0d@p4on3...

Looks like a jedi porn site name to me :-)

[DaveS]

moder yoof friendly speak? it was named in 1985

but dont let your ignorance get in the way of facts

[Anonymous Coward]

Who cares?

And what's a "brand"?

[jhermans]

The UK strong in booze ? Then who's at number 19 ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Europe's Indepedent Brand Valuation Experts

The above is the strapline of their website - they don't only mis-spell the brand names they research, they can't even spell independent. In fact the website is full of spelling errors.

Are they for real?

[Jim 59]

Poor company

How depressing that the British list is dominated by tax-dodgers, discredited bankers and a flipping tabacco company.

[Sean Baggaley 1]

What's wrong with that?

Tax-dodging, corruption and vice are great British traditions!

[Armando 123]

Fogy question

Anyone remember when "branding" was something Texans did to cattle?