NVIDIA and Microsoft’s AI innovations spur brand value growth

• NVIDIA’s brand value growth skyrockets, more than 2.5 times to reach USD44.5 billion
• Apple reclaims top spot as the most valuable tech brand of 2024, overtaking Amazon from past year
• Weixin/WeChat, YouTube and Google earn prestigious AAA+ brand strength rating  
• Apple has highest Sustainability Perceptions Value and Microsoft holds highest positive gap value

NVIDIA and Microsoft brand values have increased significantly, with NVIDIA rising by 163% to USD44.5 billion and Microsoft by 78% to USD340.4 billion), due to their pioneering AI innovations that are making a substantial impact across various industries, according to a new report from leading brand valuation consultancy, Brand Finance.  

NVIDIA, a key supplier of chips in the AI space, gained the position as the fastest-growing technology brand this year. The brand climbed 19 ranks to occupy the 10^th spot among the most valuable tech brands ranked globally. Brand Finance’s brand tracking data also reveals that the brand is perceived as highly innovative whilst familiarity, consideration and recommendation levels increased in 2024 supporting the brand strength index score to rise above 80 with a brand strength rating of AAA-.

As the second fastest-growing tech brand, Microsoft’s brand value has almost doubled from USD191.6 billion in 2023. Microsoft is also a trailblazer in AI innovations, particularly through its collaboration with OpenAI which is a significant aspect of the brand’s AI innovation strategy.

Meanwhile, Apple is the world’s most valuable tech brand ranked in 2024, overtaking Amazon from the past year, with a staggering brand value rise of 74% to USD516.6 billion, supported by its ability to maintain a premium pricing strategy and strong brand equity. Apple maintains a strong Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 86.5 of 100 and an associated brand strength rating of AAA, an improvement from last year’s AAA- rating. Microsoft ranks second while Google (brand value up 19% to USD333.4 billion) takes the third spot as the most valuable tech brand ranked.

Weixin/WeChat (brand value down 17% to USD41.8 billion) clinches the title of being the strongest tech brand ranked this year, earning a BSI score of 94.3 of 100 and a prestigious AAA+ brand strength rating. Coming in second is YouTube (brand value up 7% to USD31.7 billion), with a BSI score of 92.7 of 100 and maintaining its AAA+ rating from the past year. Despite a slight drop in its BSI score of 92.5 of 100 this year (93.2 out of 100 in 2023), Google comes in third with a AAA+ rating.  

Richard Haigh, Managing Director of Brand Finance, commented: 

“Nvidia’s relentless innovation in AI hardware has propelled its brand value to new heights, while Microsoft’s expansive AI ecosystem has reinforced its position as a cornerstone of modern business technology. Together, these brands exemplify the profound impact that cutting-edge AI capabilities can have on elevating brand value and shaping the future of global industry.”

The 2024 Sustainability Perceptions Index finds that in the technology sector, Apple has the highest Sustainability Perceptions Value of USD33.3 billion meanwhile Microsoft holds highest positive gap value of USD3.2 billion.

Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance for more than 25 years, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organizations of all kinds make strategic decisions.

Headquartered in London, Brand Finance has offices in over 20 countries, offering services on all continents. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 5,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.

Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on over 5,000 brands, surveying more than 150,000 respondents across 38 countries and 31 industry sectors. Combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database enables Brand Finance to arm brand leaders with the data and analytics they need to enhance brand and business value.

Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm, leading the standardization of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.

Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.

Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.

Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.

Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.

The steps in this process are as follows:

1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.

2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.

3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.

4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.

5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.

6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.

7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.

Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.

The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance’s proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.