Apple is still the best brand in the world, according to Interbrand's report

Interbrand has released its annual Best Global Brands ranking and there's very little movement at the top. The top five are Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Samsung in that order, showing that Apple is still... well.... the Apple of many eyes.

Other notable brands that rose up through the ranks include Nvidia, Instagram, YouTube, Uber and Netflix. Nvidia had a particularly huge increase (116 per cent), the biggest in the history of the Best Global Brands.

There is also the highest number of new entries of any Best Global Brands report, with Uniqlo, Booking.com, Shopify and Blackrock among the newcomers.

The reports methodology includes looking at financial analysis, the role of the brand (the portion of the purchase decision attributable to the brand as opposed to other factors) and brand strength, which takes into account brand loyalty. And it's no surprise to us that some of these top brands are also in our best logos list.

Automotive

In the automotive sector, Toyota held on to its number 6 position while Mercedes and BMW also made the top 20 (10 and 14, respectively).

In success stories, Ferrari has seen 17 per cent growth (in at 54) while on the flipside, Tesla declined 35 per cent to number 25.

Jaguar was nowhere to be seen and hasn't ranked on its own since 2018. I imagine its recent rebrand probably hasn't helped matters.

Media and entertainment

In terms of media and entertainment brands, it was Instagram that stood out as it surged 27 per cent and entered the top 10 for the first time (at number eight).

YouTube also saw huge growth, with an increase of 61 per cent to spot number 13 (explore the brand's history with our YouTube logo history).

Elsewhere, Netflix surged 42 per cent, and climbed 10 places to number 28.

When you think about brands that people use every day for entertainment, neither of these three are a shock. I'm frankly surprised that Netflix wasn't ranked higher.

Luxury

In the world of luxury, Gucci dropped out of the top 50 altogether (to number 69) while Hermés grew 18 per cent (and made it to spot 21) and Chanel managed to cling on to the top 25 at number 24 despite shrinking 8 per cent.

Interbrand suggests this may be due to prices post-Covid, which have discouraged some "aspiring middle-class consumers, creating a headwind for the sector".

Retail

In the world of retail, it was bad news for IKEA and H&M which shrank 9 and 13 per cent, respectively, but good news for Uniqlo, which stormed into the charts at number 47. It must be all those cross-body bags it sold.

Brands to watch

Interbrand also outlines its Brands to Watch, which shines a light on brands predicted to enter the top 100 in future years.

These include Burberry, Canon, KFC, PlayStation, WhatsApp, Zoom and Starbucks. It feels quite amazing that some of those brands aren't on the list already, but I guess there isn't room for everyone.

Download the Best Global Brands 2025 report.

If you want to see who's created the best branding in the world, see our list of the top performing agencies at the Brand Impact Awards.