JULY 23, 2005

The brand values of F1

The Interbrand agency has just published its annual ranking of brand value, which will make interesting reading for Formula 1 marketing people. Top of the list is reckoned to be Coca-Cola which has an estimated brand value of $67.5bn, ahead of Microsoft ($59.9bn), IBM ($53.3bn), GE ($46.9bn) and Intel ($35.5bn).

The first Formula 1 brand on the list is Toyota in ninth place with an estimated brand value of $24.8bn, just ahead of Marlboro ($21.1bn) and Mercedes-Benz ($21.2bn). Hewlett-Packard is 13th, BMW 16th, Honda 19th and Budweiser 26th.

The interesting thing is perhaps not the companies that are involved in F1 but rather those on the list who are not in the sport. Nokia is 6th on the list ahead of Disney and McDonalds. Also high on the list are American Express (14th), Gillette (15th), Cisco (17th), Louis Vuitton (18th) and Samsung (20th).

At the other end of the top 100 are companies which might perhaps benefit (or benefit more) from the exposure the sport has to offer. These include Caterpillar, Adidas, Rolex, Motorola, Reuters, BP, Porsche, Zara, Panasonic, Audi, Duracell, Tiffany & Co, Hermes, Hertz, Hyundai, Nissan, Hennessy, ING, Smirnoff, Cartier, Shell, Johnson & Johnson, Moet et Chandon, Prada, Bulgari, Armani, Levis, LG, Nivea, Starbucks and Heineken.

Interestingly, the Ferrari brand, which is often thought to be F1's strongest, does not make the top 100.

The other brand missing from the list is F1 itself.