What Makes the Giants Tick? The Top 5 Corporations and Their Operations

Each year, Forbes magazine evaluates the brand value of the top 100 wealthiest companies from the previous year and ranks them accordingly. (If you're curious about the methodology Forbes uses to calculate brand value, click here.)

Surprisingly or not, the unexpected events of 2020 and the pandemic did not significantly affect the top 5 ranked companies. Over the years, these brands have taken turns holding the top spot, and this year, they once again secured the leading positions. Apple's brand value was estimated at $241.2 billion, with a revenue of $260.2 billion, securing the top spot on this year's list. It is followed by Google with $207.5 billion, Microsoft with $162.9 billion, Amazon with $135.4 billion, and Facebook with a brand value of $70.3 billion.

You might be wondering about the world's largest beverage company or the biggest fast-food chain. They aren't far down the list – Coca-Cola, Disney, Samsung, Louis Vuitton, and McDonald’s follow in the rankings.

2020 Top Brand Rankings

In 2020, Apple once again took the top spot. Source: WPP

Some Companies Benefited from Covid-19

We all know from personal experience what the pandemic brought to the world: lockdowns, remote work, and social distancing. It’s no surprise that companies like Amazon, Netflix, and PayPal saw significant brand value growth. IT sector leaders were already dominant, but they truly soared during the pandemic. This growth aligns with trends in e-commerce, streaming, and digital payments. However, there are also newcomers: Nintendo, Burger King, Hennessy, and AXA entered the rankings, while Philips and Nissan suffered significant losses.

Biggest Movers from 2019 to 2020

Positive changes were noted for Netflix, Chanel, Amazon, Microsoft, and PayPal. The unfortunate reality hit brands like Facebook, Wells Fargo, Mercedes Benz, Ford, and General Electric. Detailed figures are in the attached charts.

Source: forbes.com

IKEA moved from 76th to 40th place, L’Oreal improved from 43rd to 30th, and NIKE climbed from 23rd to 13th place within a year.

What’s the Secret?

When Apple was founded in 1976, it focused on assembling home computers and producing its own PC models. Today, Apple’s product range includes smartwatches, computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and more. Its popularity is driven not only by high quality and stylish designs but also by uniquely successful marketing.

Google owns the most well-known search engine, processing billions of queries daily. The founders of Google managed to create one of the internet's most powerful advertising aggregates, which contributes the majority of the company’s revenue. But this is not Google’s only product. Google currently releases its own mobile devices and owns several popular internet services like YouTube, Gmail, and Google Maps.

Considering all this information, the clear conclusion is that the most successful companies are those capable of introducing revolutionary innovations. Apple revolutionized telecommunications with the introduction of the first touchscreen phone, and PayPal invented online payment methods. These companies are flexible and can react swiftly to market changes and demands. Amazon started as an online bookstore and grew into the largest e-commerce company, now with physical stores as well.

How Did Facebook Manage?

Facebook owns Instagram, WhatsApp, Onavo, and Beluga, among others. Source: fxssi.com

Seeing that Facebook’s value has been declining significantly for years but still holds the 5th spot, and knowing the ongoing pandemic situation – whose impact will be more visible in the future – the question arises: What will the list look like next year, one year after the pandemic began?

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