Samsung, Hyundai, Kia among top 100 global brands

Three South Korean brands from the nation’s top two conglomerates -- Samsung Group and Hyundai Motor Group – have been placed in this year’s list of the top 100 global brands compiled by Interbrand, a global branding consulting group.

Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest smartphone-maker, held onto its No. 7 spot. Its brand value also remained unchanged for the second consecutive year to reach at $45.5 billion (53.3 trillion).

Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia Motors were placed 39th and 74th, respectively.

The brand ranking of the nation’s top carmaker rose one notch this year from a year ago and the carmaker also saw its estimated brand value increase 8.5 percent to $11.3 billion in 2015 from a year ago.

“It is the best performance since the company joined the global brand ranking survey in 2005,” Hyundai Motor said in a press release.

Hyundai’s brand ranking advanced to 39th this year from 84th in 2005. “No other auto brands made such an achievement in a decade,” the company added.

Kia’s ranking remained the same for the second year in a row, but its brand value rose 5 percent to $5.7 billion.

Leading the top 100 global brands ranking this year were Apple and Google, which claimed the top two places for the third year in a row, with brand values of $170.3 billion and at $120.3 billion, respectively. The other three brands in the top five were Coca-Cola, Microsoft and IBM.

Five brands that entered this year’s top 100 include Lego (82th), PayPal (97th), Mini (98th), Moet & Chandon (99th), and Lenovo (100th).

“Technology and automotive brands dominate this year’s ranking, holding a combined 28 positions,” Interbrand said in a press release.

The brand consultancy announces the 100 most valuable global brands each fall, after analyzing the many ways a brand benefits an organization -- from delivering on customer expectations to driving economic value.

By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)