By A Correspondent
On Friday, leading media services conglomerate WPP presented the BrandZ report of Top 75 Most Valuable Indian Brands.
At 6pm today on September 18, Preeti Reddy, CEO – South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar spoke with Pradyuman Maheshwari, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, MxMIndia in an exclusive interview
Here’s the interview:
The BrandZ study, which is the only brand valuation ranking to combine companies’ financial data with consumer insight and opinion, shows that trust is key to develop the stability required for long-term success; highly trusted brands in the Top 75 are worth 129% more than less trusted ones.
BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2019
| Rank 2019 | Brand | Category | Brand Value 2019 ($M USD) | Brand Value Change |
| 1 | HDFC Bank | Banks | 22,705 | +5% |
| 2 | LIC | Insurance | 20,134 | +2% |
| 3 |
Tata Consultancy Services |
Technology | 18,161 | +21% |
| 4 | Airtel | Telecom providers | 10,286 | -10% |
| 5 | State Bank of India | Banks | 8,408 | +7% |
| 6 | Kotak Mahindra Bank | Banks | 7,637 | +15% |
| 7 | Asian Paints | Paints | 6,988 | +14% |
| 8 | Maruti Suzuki | Automobiles | 5,934 | -14% |
| 9 | Jio | Telecom providers | 5,472 | +34% |
| 10 | ICICI Bank | Banks | 5,403 | +11% |
Notable brands include ecommerce site Flipkart (No. 12), which increased its brand value 14% to $4.7 billion, while unicorn brands hotel booking site Oyo ($2.0 billion), online food ordering service Swiggy ($1.6 billion) and online restaurant marketplace Zomato ($1.0 billion) are newcomers to the ranking at No. 30, No. 39 and No. 61 respectively.
The fastest riser in the 2019 ranking is telecom provider, Jio, which climbed one place to No. 9 with a 34% increase in brand value to $5.5 billion. Its disruptive business model has made internet access available to many Indians who were previously unable to afford it, thereby opening up access to digital platforms and services. Vodafone ($2.5 billion) meanwhile was the top-ranked newcomer at No. 24.
Both digital and offline brands such as D-Mart (No. 25, $2.4 billion) have found success as a result of the rise of ‘middle India’; the growing number of people in the country’s second, third and fourth-tier cities and towns that are changing India’s traditional urban-rural divide. These previously poorly-served segments increasingly have access to a variety of online services, with Swiggy and Zomato building much of their growth on this shift.
Said David Roth, CEO of The Store WPP EMEA and Asia and Chairman of BrandZ: “As India flexes its muscles on the world stage, it faces increased macroeconomic headwinds which have combined with a rise in global trade tensions to create a challenging environment. Successful Indian brands are adapting to these challenges and recognising that longevity requires them to do more than just disrupt the status quo; long-term brand building requires new strategies that major on stability.”
Added Preeti Reddy, CEO South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar: “Consumer trust is a common thread among successful brands. However, it is concerning that only a few have succeeded in growing trust over the last five years. Those who done so, have done it through open and honest conversations with their customers. Brands would do well to consciously work at building consumer trust – it is the shield that gives a brand the resilience to face headwinds in uncertain times.”
Said Vishikh Talwar, Chief Client Officer, Kantar Insights Division: “The rise of ‘middle India’ combined with rapid growth of the mobile internet is providing unprecedented opportunities for brands. But, with an almost overwhelming choice of products and services to buy, consumers are increasingly discerning; the Indian psyche requires that brands cater for local needs with offerings that genuinely improve daily life. Today that’s as much about providing comfort and reliability as it is about generating new experiences.”
Key trends highlighted in the BrandZ Indian Top 75 study include:
:: Mobile internet access:Smartphone user numbers in India increased by 18% in 2018 (the fastest rate of growth in the world), mainly due to a combination of Jio’s own low tariffs and the renewed competition causing other telecom providers to reduce their rates.
:: Buying power:Retail is the second fastest growing category, with online and offline both growing strongly. New entrant Reliance Retail (No. 55, $1.1 billion) opened nearly 500 new stores and used Jio’s service to connect retail shops with grocery deliveries, while D-Mart ($2.4 billion) focused predominantly on offline, rising two places to No. 25.
:: The Amazon effect: Amazon and Flipkart compete with many Indian brands across several sectors, with Amazon also opening its largest campus yet in India. This has increased competition and driven brands to step up their operations to ensure they are meeting customers’ needs.
:: A confident country: The success of unicorn brands such as Swiggy, Zomato and Oyo is fostering a new-found confidence in India. This is augmented with the increasingly global outlook of these new brands as they actively seek to expand their operations outside India.
By A Correspondent
In their strongest year yet, the collective value of India’s Top 50 brands grew by 34 per cent. WPP and Kantar Millward Brown’s BrandZ Most Valuable Indian Brands analysis reveals brand value was boosted by rising consumer confidence, the country’s return to rapid economic growth and consumers becoming increasingly brand aware.
Since its launch five years ago, the total value of the BrandZ Top 50 Indian brands grew 110 per cent to $146.1 billion. This compares to a rise of 76 per cent for the BrandZ Top 50 Chinese brands and 60 per cent for the BrandZ Global Top 50 over the same period.
HDFC Bank has retained its No 1 spot for the fifth consecutive year with a rise of 21 per cent to a brand value of $21.7 billion. The bank has built a reputation for its sustainable livelihood initiative by introducing smaller loans worth as little as $175 that can be accessed via its bank branches.
The new 2018 ranking has grown from 50 to 75 brands to reflect the strength of India’s growing economy and a marketplace in which more local brands are emerging to present consumers with increased choice.
For the first time, the ranking also incorporates brands from key and growing sectors such as technology (IT services), technology (online); durables and home appliances, tobacco, and entertainment (TV stations). Privately owned brands, where financial information is publicly available, and unicorn brands based on their most recent valuations are also now included.
Said David Roth, CEO EMEA and Asia, The Store WPP: “A booming economy and an increasingly digital world are re-shaping India’s brand landscape and creating new opportunities. Brands that get it right, regardless of whether they are established players or newcomers are reaping the rewards. However, there is no room for complacency in this fast-paced environment where so many ambitious companies are ready to rise to the occasion.â€
The BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2018
| Rank 2018 | Brand | Category | Brand value 2018 (US$M) | Change |
| 1 | HDFC Bank | Banks | 21,679 | +21% |
| 2 | LIC | Insurance | 19,823 | New entrant |
| 3 | Tata Consultancy Services | Technology | 14,995 | New entrant |
| 4 | Airtel | Telecom Providers | 11,461 | +12% |
| 5 | State Bank of India | Banks | 7,860 | -6% |
| 6 | Maruti Suzuki | Automobiles | 6,938 | +56% |
| 7 | Kotak Mahindra Bank | Banks | 6,669 | +47% |
| 8 | Asian Paints | Paints | 6,116 | +30% |
| 9 | ICICI Bank | Banks | 4,867 | +4% |
| 10 | Jio | Telecom Providers | 4,090 | +68% |
As a result of these changes, there are seven new entries in the top 15. Insurance brand LIC comes in at No. 2 ($19.8 billion) thanks to the key role played by its pension plan business whilst Tata Consultancy Services ranked No. 3 ($15.0 billion), having leveraged digital technologies to drive growth and business transformation. Other new high-ranking brands include e-commerce retailer Flipkart (No. 11, $4.1 billion), e-comm payment wallet Paytm (No. 12, $4.1 billion) and Zee TV (No. 15, $3.8 billion).
As brands focus on purposeful innovation, the BrandZ premium index has reflected this change, with a rise from 111 to 117 over the past five years. With a 97 per cent year-on-year increase in brand value, Tata jewelry brand Tanishq led the ranking’s Top Risers on the strength of strong demand for gold and diamonds and the brand’s ability to command a premium price.
Added Vishikh Talwar, Managing Director at Kantar Millward Brown, South Asia: “The premiumisation trend is equally a reflection of the continuous progression of the Indian society over the last few decades. In this journey, consumers with an unprecedented array of options will choose the brand they instinctively trust. Trust is not the sole prerogative of heritage brands; young brands can be equally trustworthy if they have a clear purpose and deliver consumer experiences that reinforce this.â€
By A Correspondent
Google has overtaken Apple to become the world’s most valuable global brand in the 2014 BrandZ TM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brand ranking, worth $159 billion, an increase of 40 percent year on year.
After three years at the top, Apple slipped to No 2 on the back of a20per cent decline in brand value, to $148 billion. Whilst Apple remains atop performing brand, there is a growing perception that it is nolonger redefining technology for consumers, reflected by a lack ofdramatic new product launches. The world’s leading B2B brand, IBM,held onto its No 3 position with a brand value of $108 billion.
Nick Cooper, Managing Director of Millward Brown Optimor, commented on the number one brand, “Google has been hugely innovative in the last year with Google Glass, investments in artificial intelligence and amultitude of partnerships that see its Android operating system becoming embedded in other goods such as cars. All of this activitysends a very strong signal to consumers about what Google is about andit has coincided with a slowdown at Apple.”
“This year’s index highlights the end of the recession, with a strong recovery in valuations and, for the first time, real growth acrosse very category and the Top 100 as a whole,” said David Roth, CEO of The Store, WPP. “What’s remarkable is the way that strong brands haveled the recovery. Seventy-one of the brands listed in our 2014 Top 100were there in 2008. Despite the financial turmoil and the digital disruption that have decimated many businesses during the last few years, these brands have remained in the ranking, proving the durability of strong brands.”
The BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study, commissioned byWPP and conducted by Millward Brown Optimor, is now in its ninth year.It is the only ranking that uses the views of potential and current buyers of a brand, alongside financial data, to calculate brandvalue. The ranking comes in advance of the maiden launch of BrandZ India Top 50 Most Valuable Brands, scheduled in August 2014.
Prasun Basu, Managing Director Millward Brown South Asia, said, “The BrandZ ™ Top 100 ranking highlights the value of brand building increating a tangible impact on businesses and consumers. As a result,the ranking has become a benchmark for those organisations thatleverage their brands to add value to their businesses.”
The combined value of the Global Top 100 has nearly doubled since the first ranking was produced in 2006. The Top 100 today are worth $2.9trillion, an increase of 49per cent compared with the 2008 valuation, whichmarked the start of the banking and currency crisis.
The BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Global Brands 2014 Rank 2014 includes Google at the No 1 spot, Apple at the second spot, IBM at 3, Microsoft at 4, McDonald’s at No 5, Coca-Cola at No. 6, Visa at 7, AT&T at 8, Marlboro at 9 and Amazon at the tenth spot.
Key findings highlighted in this year’s research report include:
– Share of Life: Successful brands such as Google (No 1 brand), Facebook, Twitter, Tencent and LinkedIn are more than just tools, they have become part of our lives. They offer new forms ofcommunication that absorb people’s attention and imagination, whilealso helping them organise the rest of their lives at the same time.To gain more of our mind-space, brands such as Tencent and Google areeven crossing categories. This trend also pushed No 1 Apparel brand Nike, a prime example of a brand seeking to become a share of life brand which offers services such as Nike+ that extend well beyond its functional raison d’etre.
– Purpose beyond Profit: Brands in business for reasons beyond the bottom line have a better chance of success in today’s world. Forexample, Pampers, which promotes mother and baby health issues, is at No 39 in the ranking and grew its value by 10per centto $22.6 billion. Dove,which has continued to find huge success on the back of its “realwomen” philosophy, has a brand value of $4.8 billion.
– Apparel fastest growing category: Â The top 10 Apparel brands grew in value by 29per centto nearly $100 billion this year, outpacing Cars(up 17%) and Retail (up 16%). With brands such as Uniqlo, Nike and Adidas all recording double-digit increases in their valuation.
– Technology service companies continue to climb: Not only are the top four brands technology companies,, but so too are many of this year’s biggest risers. This year’s fastest climber was leading Chinese internet brand Tencent, up 97% to $54 billion and the No 14 position,followed by Facebook which rose 68% to $36 billion and took the No 21spot. New brands in the Top 100 include Twitter at No 71 with a brandvalue of $14 billion and LinkedIn at No 78 worth $12 billion.