As I was thinking of all the brands that I associate with, I realize that more than half of those them originate from one country. It is obvious some of the most powerful brands in the world is created in America, but how do these brands become so influential and popular? Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Google, and Intel are all American brands that are deemed 2012’s “World’s Most Powerful Brand” by Forbes. What makes a brand valuable? Is there a difference between a valuable brand and a powerful brand?
All the company listed have high brand equity, however, there is no universal accepted way to measure it. Forbes’ methodology is based on financial metrics and indexed consumer behaviour and brand value.
In my opinion, different people have different value on certain brands. In a micro perspective, as an avid yogi, Lululemon is deemed a valuable brand to me, however other people may think otherwise. Brand equity can also be measured as the price premium that a brand demands over a generic product. A powerful brand should never fail to capture the world’s attention. I think that powerful brands are valuable, but valuable brands does not necessarily have to be powerful. For example, those who shop at Whole Foods value the brand because they believe in paying price premium for organic foods, but not everyone has the same mentality. I deduce that powerful brand should be stellar in financial strength and consumer perception.
On a side note, even as globalization prevails, many top companies on the list are American. Globalization might as well be “americanization.”
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