Infographic highlights how Apple brand dominates other companies

Big pile of cash underneath an Apple logo.
Apple is one heck of a powerful brand name around the world.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s been around for more than 40 years. However, it wasn’t until surprisingly recently that it became the company we know today; a surefire lock for titles like the world’s most admired company.

An astonishing new data visualization highlights this. Using Interbrand’s “brand value” as its metric, it shows just dominant Apple has been in the last several years. And how surprisingly late it entered the list of world’s most valuable brands.

For me, the most surprising thing about this infographic is just how late Apple appears among the world’s most valuable brands. Steve Jobs’ turnaround of Apple began in the late 1990s. The iMac made its debut in 1998. The iPod and iTunes appeared in the early 2000s. The iPhone appeared in 2007. And the iPad, Apple’s fastest-selling new product of all time, appeared in 2010.

However, it’s only in 2011 — the year that Jobs passed away — that Apple made its presence felt on these rankings. A similar thing is true when you look at Apple’s share price over the years. While Apple stock performed well under Steve Jobs, it’s surprisingly late in his run when it truly started rocketing upwards.

What is brand value?

To be clear, “brand value” is a somewhat amorphous term. Interbrand defines it as a combination of financial performance, the role the brand plays in influencing purchase decisions, and the strength the brand possesses in garnering a premium price. That’s open to interpretation — but few would argue that Apple is a leader in the field right now.

In Interbrand’s 2018 rankings, Apple’s brand value was listed as $214.48 billion. That was up 16 percent from last year, and secured it the top spot for the sixth consecutive year.

Cult of Mac