Study: Toyota Remains a Top Global Brand; Nissan Makes Major Gain

Toyota remains one of the top 10 brands in the world, according to recent study by Interbrand, a brand consultancy that is part of advertising giant Omnicom Group. The Japanese automaker ranked sixth in Interbrand’s latest brand ranking study. Also newsworthy is that Nissan is one of the most improved brands this year. The list, which highlights the top 100 brands globally, is based on analysis of three factors: financial performance, the role that a brand plays in consumer choice, and a brand’s market strength.

Technology giants Apple and Google are the top performers for a third straight year. Apple maintained dominance with a 43% climb in valuation to $170.3 billion. Microsoft (4) and IBM (5) also made the top five, and Coca-Cola ranked third, although it lost financial clout this year. Rounding out the top 10 global brands are: Samsung (7), General Electric (8), McDonald’s (9), and Amazon (10). Amazon is a top-10 newcomer, with its value increasing 29% from 2014 to $37.9 billion.