The 2012 Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands & Top 10 Beauty Brands

Despite the current state of the economy, the world’s biggest brands continues to grow in value, according to a recent study by global research agency, Millward Brown. The study, commissioned by WPP and conducted by Millward Brown Optimor and now in its seventh year, identifies and ranks the world’s most valuable brands by their dollar value, an analysis based on financial data, market intelligence and consumer measures of brand equity

Here are the Top 10 Most Valuable Global Brands of 2012:

1. Apple

2. IBM

3. Google

4. McDonald’s

5. Microsoft

6. Coca-Cola

7. Marlboro

8. AT & T

9. Verizon

10. China Mobile

To view the entire Top 100 List, click here

Here are the TOP 10 GLOBAL BRANDS IN PERSONAL CARE:

1. Gillette

2. Colgate

3. L’Oreal

4. Dove

5. NIVEA

6. Garnier

7. Lancome

8. Clinique

9. Crest

10. Olay

Key findings highlighted in this year’s research report for the personal care industry include:

• Personal Care Still a Priority: Even though consumers have reduced their shopping trips and purchases, they’re still buying personal care items which they consider affordable luxuries.
• Smarter Purchases: Consumers tried to spend less, adopting smart shopping strategies, researching more online and sometimes switching to private label when the functional or emotional benefits didn’t seem worth a brand’s premium. Consumers also expect more value-added products such as  hair treatment products which not only beautified hair but also helped compensate for damage inflicted by straightening or other processes. Increasingly, functional benefits related to health and wellness, a trend also evident in other categories.
• Do-It Yourself Purchases: Consumers also selected more do-it-yourself options that promised salon-quality results for at-home prices.
• Brand Loyalty Remains: Women consider face care a high priority, for example, and usually remain loyal to a preferred brand, such as Olay. In feminine hygiene, women might switch national brands but are less likely to select a private label. For other products, like body care, financially pressed consumers are more likely to do without the product than switch to private label.
• Trust in Social Media: The importance of trust in the personal care category is one reason that North American and European brands dominate the personal care category. Peer reviews are important for building trust in personal care. While expert testimony remains important, many personal care brands engage consumers in conversation in social media.
• BRIC Fluctuates: The developing markets of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) remained critical to the growth of personal care brands.

Click here to see THE TOP 50 RICHEST BEAUTY BRANDS