Interbrand Names 100 Best Global Brands

One of the highlights of my year is to attend the launch party in New York City for 
Interbrand's 100 Best Global Brands at the New York Stock Exchange.  The annual event is the culmination of months of analysis and vetting on the part of the analysts and brand experts at Interbrand, a division of DDB and holding company Omnicom. 

The New York Stock Exchange is decked out for the
launch of the 100 Best Global Brands

This is the 13th year Interbrand has published this study and it tells us a lot about the power of Brands, both in the marketplace and, as importantly, in the financial community.  As we learn in our MSBA marketing class, Brands are a valuable commodity with real value.

Writes Interbrand Global Chief Executive Jez Franpton;

"Those who manage the Top 100 Best Global Brands understand the role they play in peoples' lives and respond accordingly — building on successes and making up for mistakes. They are constantly nurturing their brands to keep pace in a rapidly changing world; they know that every market is different, every interaction counts, and every individual matters. Quite an achievement in such turbulent times. These strong, highly innovative brands have earned the respect and loyalty of many individuals who, collectively, contribute to their power and prosperity. They have also earned our respect and admiration, as well as a place in our report."

The methodology used by Interbrand "takes into account all the many ways in which a brand touches and benefits its organization -- from attracting and retaining talent to delivering on customer expectations. The final value can then be used to guide brand management, so businesses can make better, more informed decisions. There are three key aspects that contribute to the assessment:

• The financial performance of the branded products or services.
• The role of brand in the purchase decision process.
• The strength of the brand."

The 2011 list of Best Global Brands is headed by perennial winner Coca Cola with a total Brand Valuation of $77.8B.  It is interesting to note that after seeing this familiar Brand top the list, the rest of the top five Brands are all technology companies.  In rank order from 2 to 5 are Apple ($76.6B), IBM ($75.5B), Google ($69.7B) and Microsoft ($57.9B).  Pretty much tells you where the world is headed, doesn't it?  If you have any interest in Brands whatsoever, this is a must read report. 

The Stock Exchange by Day

The Stock Exchange in party mode

 But back to the launch event itself which attracts CMO's from around the world, it is an amazing spectacle.  I had no idea the NYSE could be transformed from the financial epicenter of the world at 4 PM to party central at 7 PM.

From left to right:
Mark OBrien, President of North
America DDB Worldwide,
MSBA Director Stewart McHie,
and DDB President and CEO
Chuck Brymer

And a sincere note of thanks to fellow University of Kentucky alum and DDB Worldwide President and CEO Chuck Brymer for allowing me to crash this prestigious event year after year.  I've known Chuck for many years, both as the former Chairman and CEO of Interbrand and in his current role as President and CEO of DDB, who handled the ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing Company global advertising account in my former life as Global Brand Manager for the company. 

Also shown at right is Mark OBrien, President of North America DDB Worldwide and former CFO of DDB Worldwide.  Mark has never let me live down our first global contract negotiation at the Mohonk conference center in upstate New York!

With  Jessica at the
bell stand at the NYSE.

And of course a shout out to my daughter Jessica McHie who is a Senior Associate in the Global Communications group at Interbrand and who sneaks my name onto the invite list every year.






Stewart McHie
Director, MS in Business Analysis program
mchie@cua.edu