The global rankings released by US consultancy firm Interbrand reveal that Samsung has overtaken Toyota for the first time to become the most valuable brand in Asia. The Best Global Brands 2017 list from Interbrand has 11 companies from Asia. South Korean companies have improved their positions on the list compared to their Japanese rivals.
Interbrand's valuation of top global brands now puts Samsung in sixth place, it's up one position from last year. That's quite an achievement given the recent challenges that the company has faced, including the conviction of its heir Lee Jae-yong on charges of bribery.
“Samsung has made it a policy of strengthening its brand in the past 10 years,” said Interbrand Japan's CEO Masahito Namiki. Despite the turmoil at the top, this strategy has helped Samsung limit the impact of its brand image.
The top five spots on the list are all occupied by US companies. Apple is at the very top followed by Google, Microsoft, Coca-Cola and Amazon. Samsung is the first non-US company on the list and it's in sixth position, the first for an Asian company on the list. It's followed by Toyota in seventh place.
Facebook, Mercedes-Benz and IBM complete the list of top ten countries based on Interbrand's valuations of top global brands.
