Dive Brief:
- Brand valuations are in massive flux as artificial intelligence (AI) and dynamic market challenges reshape company financial performance and customer perceptions in 2025, according to the latest global brand rankings report from Interbrand.
- This year has seen the most new entrants and exits from the list since the consultancy launched it in 2000. Nvidia, the chipmaker powering the generative AI boom, recorded Interbrand’s largest-ever jump in brand value, up 116% year over year to $43.2 billion.
- Netflix, YouTube, Uber and Instagram are among the other fastest-risers, underpinning the strength of digital services and entertainment. Other new entrants, including Booking.com, Uniqlo, Monster and Shopify, “solve specific and singular problems” for customers, Interbrand said.
Dive Insight:
From a top-level view, Interbrand uncovered a fairly unremarkable amount of growth in total global brand value, which is up 4.4% to $3.6 trillion in 2025. However, the macro figures belie how much change is occurring on an individual brand basis, with the consultancy’s rankings seeing the most entries and exits in its over two decade history. Interbrand assesses several factors for its research, including financial performance and market footprint, purchasing decisions attributable to brand and the ability for a brand to drive loyalty.
Brands that are growing in stature are capitalizing on disruption caused by trends like AI or cracking into new service areas and revenue streams, according to Interbrand, while those that are leaning solely on familiarity are losing ground.
“Digitally enabled services and the rise of AI are creating winners faster than ever. Disruption is a defining force shaping global brands,” said Gonzalo Brujó, global CEO of Interbrand, in a statement. “Brands that are innovating across industries and entering new arenas, building cultural relevance, and investing in long-term brand strategy are winning. Those relying on legacy strength alone are seeing challenges to their growth.”
In the case of AI, Nvidia remains the standout. The chipmaker, which only landed on the Interbrand rankings for the first time last year, climbed from the No. 36 spot to No. 15, making for the biggest gains the firm has ever recorded for a single business. The leap was attributed to “stellar product marketing and complete dominance” by Greg Silverman, Interbrand’s global director of brand economics, although he cautioned that a disruptor could unseat Nvidia’s pole position if it does not invest in long-term brand strategy.
Other brands are receiving a boost from diversification. Netflix’s value jumped 42% YoY thanks to bigger bets on live entertainment and gaming while Instagram grew 27%, entering the top 10 for the first time, as the social media app tries its hand at channels like e-commerce. Elsewhere, fresh entrants like Booking.com (No. 32), Uniqlo (No. 47), Monster (No. 70) were credited with the ability to “do one thing, incredibly well.”
On the flip side, categories that have experienced years of momentum are hitting a wall due to a rockier economy coupled with post-pandemic price hikes. Luxury fashion brands, embroiled in tariff-related challenges and softer consumer spend, are declining in value, with Louis Vuitton down 5%, Chanel down 8% and Gucci down 35%, with the latter dropping out of Interbrand’s top 50 entirely.
Automotive, another sector bearing the brunt of tariff impacts, is also quickly changing. Tesla, which has seen its public image dented for various reasons, experienced a brand value slide of 35% YoY while BYD, an eclectic vehicle competitor from China, landed on the Interbrand table for the first time at No. 90.
All that said, the top three companies by value remained the same as 2024, with Apple, Microsoft and Amazon leading the pack. The iPhone maker’s yearslong hold on the crown appears increasingly vulnerable, however, as its value slipped 4% to $470.9 billion.
