AI propels global brands to unprecedented growth - Kantar BrandZ

Google crowned as new no.1 in global top 100; Nvidia, Amazon and Tencent feature in a top 10 dominated by tech; Chinese brands see an average 32% year-on-year increase in value

NEW YORK, May 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The acceleration of AI has resulted in one of the most profound shifts in brand value, pushing the threshold to enter the Kantar BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking to its highest level. That's according to the 21st edition of Kantar's global analysis, which quantifies how brand contributes to enterprise value.

People are now experiencing brands through thousands of AI-shaped moments, from personalized feeds to LLMs that influence what we see and choose. As machines increasingly surface and weigh content, standing out as meaningful and different has become more important for brands, not less. Kantar's latest data proves that the power of brand persists, with the combined value of the BrandZ global top 100 now a record $13.1 trillion (up 22% on last year).

In a historic first, three brands have simultaneously broken the trillion-dollar threshold, with Google (no.1: $1.5tn), Microsoft (no.3: $1.1tn) and Amazon (no.4: $1.0tn) joining Apple (no.2: $1.4tn).

Google's brand value surged by 57% year-on-year to claim the number one spot for the first time since 2018, ending Apple's four consecutive years at the top. Its rise has been carefully built around the integration of Gemini into all existing products, the introduction of agentic features in search and continued investment in data centers.

A standout in the ranking this year, Claude has debuted in the global top 100 at number 27, with a brand value of just under $100bn ($96.6bn). Meanwhile, ChatGPT recorded the highest year-on-year brand value increase, rising by 285%; the only brand in history to see a bigger increase in the top 100 was Blackberry, which rose by 390% in 2008.

Martin Guerrieria, Head of Kantar BrandZ, said: "AI is accelerating growth. And it has also made marketing harder. Marketers are digesting more signals than ever, decisions have to be made faster, and it's less clear what actually matters. The brands outperforming the market are using AI to bring judgement back into the system: to identify which signals to trust, connect what people are doing to real business choices, and do so quickly and confidently. In a market this fragmented, sustained growth is coming from clarity."

Chinese brands continue to influence Western shores

A defining theme in this year's BrandZ report is the continued rise in global prominence of Asian brands, with close to a quarter (23) originating from the region. This underscores their increasing significance in the global economy and their expanding market reach worldwide.

In China, the strongest performers that have seen their brand value increase include Agricultural Bank of China (+54%), Alibaba (+51%), ICBC (+49%), Xiaomi (+48%), Tencent (+45%) and Ping An (+41%). Tencent has broken back into the top 10 for the first time since 2023, entering at number 8 with a brand value of $251.6bn.

Guerrieria concluded: "The brands growing fastest have focused on removing friction, delivering real value to people's lives, and reflecting cultural context. What we're seeing, particularly from Chinese brands like Tencent, Alibaba and TikTok, is speed and follow-through: they interpret consumer signals quickly and have the discipline to act on them decisively. Their growth hasn't come from waiting for perfect information but from moving early on what they know will impact their brand."

The brands standing out in the sectors:

• Apparel: Zara has become the world's most valuable apparel brand, overtaking longstanding leader Nike – a clear testament to its ability to build relevance through personalized AI-powered shopping experiences.
• Luxury: Hermès has overtaken Louis Vuitton to claim the title of world's most valuable luxury brand. It's a reflection of an enduring commitment to understand its diverse audience, hiring British designer Grace Wales Bonner as the first Black woman to lead the prestigious tailor.
• Financial services: The sector experienced significant growth, with gains driven by a strong performance in traditional banks like Chase and HSBC building stronger consumer relationships rooted in trust.

Kantar BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Global Brands 2026

About Kantar BrandZ
Kantar BrandZ is the global currency when assessing brand value, quantifying the contribution of brands to business' financial performance. Kantar's annual global and local brand valuation rankings combine rigorously analyzed financial data with extensive brand equity research. Since 1998, BrandZ has shared brand-building insights with business leaders based on interviews with 4.6 million consumers, for over 22,000 brands in 54 markets. Discover more about Kantar BrandZ here.

About Kantar
Kantar is the world's leading marketing data and analytics business. We deliver the intelligence needed to power brand growth.

We provide the signals that help organizations act quickly and confidently. We empower brands to make effective marketing decisions based on predictive evidence. And we help them craft powerful growth strategies rooted in the connection between consumers, brands and enterprise value. All this is powered by our uniquely robust human and synthetic data, our unrivalled IP, our AI-native platform and the team of global brand experts that bring this all together.

¹ Brand Value of Amazon includes Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Web Services.
² Brand Value of Tencent includes QQ, WeChat, Tencent Music, WeSing, WeChat Pay, WeBank, v.qq.com, Tencent Cloud.

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SOURCE Kantar