Brand perception study the FutureBrand Index, for its 10th anniversary, has revealed the Apple, Disney, and Samsung among the top brands of the past decade.
While Boeing and Volkswagen have dropped off the charts.
The FutureBrand Index reorders the PwC list of Top 100 Companies by market cap, assessing each organisation for brand strength by measuring against 18 key attributes focused on Experience and Purpose.
In 2014, seven of the top ten brands were from the US.
By 2024, the top ten is much more varied, with four US brands and five from APAC and the Middle East. APAC and the Middle East are investing in brand, especially in a B2B setting, at levels that match the pace previously seen in just the US and Europe.
The good news: there is maturity in the space. The bad news: this is a much more competitive environment.
In a decade of the Index, 48 brands have appeared in every edition, but three brands emerge as consistently high performing future brands: Samsung, Apple and Walt Disney.
FutureBrand Australia CEO Rich Curtis says these results comes down to brand's being consistent.
“These brands’ success isn't a stroke of luck. It's testament to smarter strategies based on a deeper understanding of the role and value of brands at the highest levels of company leadership," Curtis said.
Key areas like consistency (22% in 2014 to 34% in 2024) and seamlessness (25% to 36%), two of the 18 attributes measured in the FutureBrand Index, have seen notable growth.
This suggests that while brands have excelled in many areas, maintaining a unique and engaging narrative remains challenging, says FutureBrand head of strategy Victoria Berry.
“In the constant race to keep top-of-mind in an increasingly fast-paced world, it’s those brands that continue to evolve with Creativity and Purpose will set themselves apart in the next decade," Berry said.
Conversely, the behaviour of once iconic brands like Boeing and Volkswagen, ranked highly in 2014 and now dropped out of the 2024 FutureBrand Index altogether, is a cautionary tale: brands that fail to deliver on the core values they have built their business on face severe reputational damage and loss of customer trust.
“It is insightful to reflect on how organisations have weathered the storms of the last decade: from global economic downturns to a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic," Berry said.
“What shines through the ups and downs is that brands thrive when they stay true to their values, even under pressure, with a clear, purpose-driven approach. On the contrary, brands that compromise on values, mission, innovation or otherwise face the risk of reputational damage.
"It’s the small, every day decisions that fail to align with your brand that gradually erode your brand and eventually leave it devalued and meaningless. The lesson for CMOs is simple: compromise your purpose, and you compromise your future."
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