CommBank has emerged as the sole Australian brand in the 2025 Kantar BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, securing the 74th position overall. The bank’s brand value has reached USD $32,093 million, marking a 39% increase from the previous year. In the financial services category, CommBank has climbed three places to rank 11th.

The Global Top 100 brands collectively hold a brand value of USD $10.7 trillion, reflecting a 29% increase compared to the prior year. Apple maintains its lead in the ranking with a brand value of USD $1.3 trillion, accounting for over 12% of the total value of the Global Top 100. Amazon has seen its brand value rise by 50%, reaching USD $866 billion.

Instagram and TikTok have demonstrated notable growth, with Instagram’s brand value surging by 101% and TikTok’s by 25%. The retail sector has experienced a 48% increase in brand value growth following the pandemic. In contrast, consumer categories such as apparel, food and beverages, and personal care have shown flat or declining brand values. Alcohol brands have faced an 11% decline in brand value, attributed to reduced consumption and market fragmentation. Luxury brands have seen a 2% decline in brand value, partly due to shifting consumer preferences in China.

Carolyn Reid, Kantar Australia Head of Qualitative, commented on CommBank’s performance: “CommBank’s performance is notable because it is a legacy brand that continues to strengthen its Meaningful Difference in the minds of Australians. By being an innovation leader, and thinking beyond its category, CommBank is evolving its leadership role. It is a highly Meaningfully Different brand, well known for its deployment of technology, strong corporate purpose, and its partnerships, such as with the Matildas.”

Reid further stated, “With strong penetration and high Future Power, CommBank’s growth has come from continued investment in digital innovation, new product launches, youth engagement, strategic partnerships, and a strong focus on the customer experience. It remains well positioned to find new spaces into which it can grow.”

Martin Guerrieria, Global Head of Kantar BrandZ, highlighted the importance of marketing in brand value: “This is irrefutable proof of marketing’s value. A brand is a company’s most valuable asset, and the last thing businesses should be doing in response to market shocks is cutting marketing investment. Brands are built on ongoing exposure and experiences. The most successful are consistent in their messaging and recognise the intangible value of brands in the minds of consumers. The smartest businesses differentiate their brands to the extent that consumers are happy to pay a premium, because they can maintain or survive price rises without eroding demand. This is crucial for protecting margins when facing external pressures.”

Guerrieria also noted the impact of innovation on brand rankings: “Innovators keeping up with consumer needs or redefining them entirely are the brands fundamentally reshaping the Global Top 100 over the past two decades, think Uber, Booking.com and now ChatGPT.”

He added, “In a world of digital saturation and tough consumer expectations, brands need to meet people’s needs, connect with them emotionally and offer something others don’t to succeed. They need to be not just different, but meaningfully so. The dominance of brands like Apple, Instagram and McDonald’s underlines the power of a consistent brand experience that people can relate to and remember. ChatGPT’s dramatic rise shows how a brand can find fame and influence society to the extent that it changes our daily lives. But with generative AI competition accelerating, OpenAI will need to invest in its brand to preserve it first-mover momentum.”