![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Kantar-embed-for-story.png\")
<\/p>\nDespite claims that AI will kill traditional search, Google has edged Apple out of the No. 1 spot on Kantar\u2019s annual BrandZ report, the research company\u2019s ranking of the 100 most valuable brands in the world, released Thursday.<\/p>\n
The tech giant\u2019s brand value grew 57% over last year, according to the data and analytics giant, which now values it at $1.48 trillion.<\/p>\n
Apple had occupied the lead position for the previous four consecutive years. Its slip down to second place wasn\u2019t because of anything it did wrong (Apple\u2019s brand value actually rose 6%), but what Google has done right\u2014especially when it comes to AI.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s four things,\u201d Kantar CEO Jeff Greenspoon told ADWEEK. \u201cThey embedded intelligence into everyday behavior at a scale that no one else had. They made it useful for people. They monetized it well. And the behavior shows that it\u2019s integrated into the platform.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Technology brands overall maintained the strong presence they had in the 2025 report<\/a>, with the likes of Oracle, IBM, Cisco, Intel, and Intuit all snagging places in the top 50. <\/p>\n It may come as a surprise, then, to see the strong showing of AI brands on this year\u2019s list: Nvidia at no. 5, ChatGPT at no. 15, and Claude at no. 27. Rapid adoption of AI by the general public can account for this growing connection, as Greenspoon pointed out, with 64% of consumers reporting that they use AI to find what they want.\u00a0<\/p>\n Guerrieria also acknowledged the maturation in the sector\u2014not just LLMs \u201cemerging as brands in their own rights,\u201d he said, but \u201cdeliberately moving toward emotional brand building.\u201d The funny, clever, and emotional Super Bowl ads from the likes of Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude serve as examples.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Chinese companies not only held high ranks (Alibaba at no. 19 and TikTok at no. 25 were the top placers), but as a category exhibited a 31% increase in brand value over last year. The Agricultural Bank of China and consumer-electronics giant Xiaomi posted individual brand-value increases of 54% and 48%, respectively.<\/p>\n How it works<\/p>\n Kantar assesses a brand\u2019s value by multiplying its calculated financial value with a metric it calls Brand Contribution<\/a>, defined as \u201cthe ability of the brand to deliver value to the company by predisposing consumers to choose the brand over others or pay more for it, based purely on perceptions and their implications for future performance.\u201d<\/p>\n By incorporating subtler attributes like perception, \u201cwe\u2019re valuing something that\u2019s intangible,\u201d said BrandZ head Martin Guerrieria\u2014but the result is a more nuanced reading of potency than an examination of fiscals alone. <\/p>\n
![\"Kantar’s](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kantar-brandz-report-2025.png\")
<\/a> <\/p>\n