Top 10 Most Popular Brands In The World
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Top 10 Most Popular Brands In The World
A brand’s value starts with its name and perception.
There have been many businesses in the world, however, some simply stand out more than others. Their unique value has set them aside from the competition, whether it’s due to their name, marketing strategy, design, or logo. It has also increased their net worth, market share, and general success.
Of course, customers tend to buy from these brands because they are perceived as reliable.
So asides from being recognizable, they also affect purchasing behavior, retention, and perception.
It is why people always opt for Coca-Cola as the go-to for cola drinks even when sometimes, they cannot defend their reasons for choosing it.
In this article, we’ll be looking at ten of the most popular brands in the world and the probable reasons why they have grown to become industry giants.
Quick Tip:  Want to create a fun and lively business name? Try our Funny Business Name generator and create unlimited name ideas. |
Popular Brands
Apple
Being the largest corporation in the world, surpassing even Google, Apple has a wide range of hardware and software products. This makes it a very adaptable brand because if you don’t have an Apple device, you probably use the Music or subscribe to its TV. The devices are also sleek, easy to sync, and just offer that extra swag.
One of the reasons it’s so recognizable is because of its brand name and synonymous logo. While there’s been a series of speculations on the reason behind the name, in the biography of Steve Jobs by Isaac Walter, the founder simply liked Apples.
After trying to find technical-sounding names to no avail, Jobs chose the name because it sounded spirited and fun. This shows that you don’t always have to conform to industry standards when picking out your name.
As for the famous half-bitten logo, some attribute it to Eve in the bible. Some even say it connotes a byte of data. Rob Janoff, the logo’s creator, however, says that the half bite was to give a sense of scale.
Pro Tips Tell a story by showing continuity in your brand. Sometimes a fun brand name is more recognizable than a technical one. |
Amazon
Amazon is recognized as one of the giants in the eCommerce industry.
Being one of the big four this brand that started as a bookstore has expanded to become an everything store. Including media entertainment with Amazon Prime being the parent company.
However, Amazon didn’t just start as Amazon. Its first name was ‘Cadabra’ which was supposed to be short for ‘Abracadabra’. Unfortunately, people heard ‘Cadaver’ over the phone and they realized that it was time to change names.
After registering countless domain names, one day, Bezos was going through the dictionary and saw the name Amazon. As the largest river in the world, he decided it would be the perfect name for the world’s largest bookstore. And it has stuck ever since.
Today, even with the expansion into other industries and business solutions, the name remains fitting because it’s genuinely one of the biggest brands in the world.
According to Bezos, “It’s not only the largest river in the world, but it’s also many times larger than the next biggest river. It blows all other rivers away.
| Pro Tips It’s okay to not get the right business name at first – keep searching. Try not to go for obscure names or business names that’ll limit your brand when you need to expand. |
Google is one of the biggest multinationals in the world thanks to its search engine technology, online advertising, and cloud computing offerings. It’s also referred to as a highly valuable brand because of its market dominance and use of AI.
However, similar to Amazon, in 1996, Google didn’t start with the perfect name.
It was first named ‘Backrub’ and this is because it analyzed backlinks to effectively rank a website. Eventually, they realized that this name wasn’t enough and after several brainstorming sessions, they settled for ‘Googol’.
While searching for domain names, Anderson who was in charge of purchasing the domain accidentally searched for ‘Google.com’ instead of ‘Googol.com’. The founders liked it and decided to register this name instead.
It stuck because Page and Brin, the founders of Google were always looking for significant company names with a goofy side. The parent company which Google is a subsidiary for is called Alphabet which reinforces this notion.
| Pro Tips Brainstorm with your team when picking out a business name. You can find your inspiration for a better brand name when picking out a domain name. |
McDonalds
McDonalds is an American fast food chain popular for its burgers and accompanying drinks. Since it launched in 1940, the origin behind the brand name is pretty straightforward. Founded by two brothers, they chose to name their restaurant after the family name – McDonald’s.
McDonalds is a huge success primarily because of how focused and affordable the menu is. By focusing solely on hamburgers and fries, they created an efficient self-service system that eliminates wait time.
Over the decades, they expanded their menu and developed a franchise. Today, there are over 34,000 outlets in more than 115 countries across the globe.
With their memorable food business name, emphasis on affordable and fun food, they’ve become one of the most popular family restaurants in the world today. They also have a logo that reinforces the brand and popular food on the menu – the big Mac.
| Pro Tips Sometimes a simple straightforward name does the trick – especially with traditional products/services. Focus on a specific niche to gain market popularity first before expanding to other offerings. |
Mastercard
What started as a group of merchants offering interbank payment services in 1967 has become one of the most widely accepted payment methods in the world today.
After many acquisitions, they rebranded from Interbank to MasterCharge and then Mastercard. So far, they’ve helped authorize, clear and settle transactions between the issuing bank and merchant.
The name speaks for itself – Mastercard.
A card that not only connects its users with endless payment possibilities but also surpasses other card options in the market. The logo has also evolved to become a very recognizable brand mark.
The red and yellow interconnected circles reinforce that this brand is optimized to work across any digital landscape.
Over the years, Mastercard realized that although they reached 30 million people monthly, they weren’t actively involved in having conversations with these people. And so, they chose to better demonstrate value by prioritizing their storytelling and building relationships.
| Pro Tips Choose a brand name that buttresses your vision and end goal. Get involved in customer conversations and use storytelling to your advantage. |
Disney
Another brand that’s popular thanks to story-telling is Disney. From their commercials and advertisements, to even their products, Disney sells theme characters that play on human emotions.
Asides from producing amazing cartoons, animations, musical performances, and other forms of media entertainment, they’ve brought these experiences into the real world.
Now there are recreational centers called Disneyland, interactive games, toys, and other merchandise. This shows that Disney primarily sells stories and their experiences with them.
The brand is named after the creator – Walt Disney. With a logo of a castle that represents fairytales and the text which is Walt Disney’s signature, the brand experience is consistent. It’s fun and memorable.
| Pro Tips Sell experiences and memories from your products. Use memorable brand names, symbols, and icons in your logo. |
Microsoft
In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul G Allen founded what is now known as the leading personal-computer software application. It has an operating system, tools, email services, and even tablet computers.
After converting a programming language for use on a PC, the founders created the company coining the brand name after microcomputers and software – Microsoft.
Over the years, they’ve released operating systems that by 1993, 90% of the world’s PCs ran on a Microsoft Operating System. They then expanded to being the leader in productivity software like MS word, spreadsheets, and Powerpoint, thereby kicking the competition to the curb. Although they moved a little slowly into the internet, they developed their own browser – Internet Explorer which has rebranded to Microsoft Edge recently.
With stiff competition from Apple and Google, Microsoft has started gearing from a more business-oriented solution to offering more consumer-focused products like the X-Box. Nevertheless, it’s still one of the biggest brands in the world today.
| Pro Tips Be open to expansion early enough especially when there are opportunities in your industry. Try coining a business name from words that have meaning to you. |
Nike
Nike is a famous retail sportswear outlet that was founded by track and field coach Bill Bowerman and his former student Phil Knight. Popular for their amazing slogan “Just do it”, this brand was originally called ‘Blue Ribbon Sports’.
They launched the first shoe in 1972 and decided to rename the company Nike inc in 1978. This shorter, memorable, and household name was gotten from the Greek goddess of victory – Nike. The logo is a very recognizable checkmark or swoosh which represents the wings of the goddess as well.
Nike has leveraged influencer marketing, and acquisitions from other companies like converse to become a huge brand today.
And although there’s been several backlash and strikes from its manufacturing company workers on poor working conditions, Nike has launched several sustainable campaigns to combat this issue.
| Pro Tips Choose a short, concise and if possible, one-word brand name. Ensure there’s a story behind your logo and other brand elements. |
Samsung
Founded by Lee Byung-Chull, Samsung is a Korean name that means “three stars”.
The idea behind this was that the brand would be everlasting like the stars in the sky. Three is symbolic in the Korean language and is used to connote when something is big and powerful.
The Samsung group is not only the biggest conglomerate in Korea, but it has become one of the most popular brands in the world. In fact, in 2020, it had the 8th highest global brand value. While it started as a trading company in 1938, they’ve diversified food processing, textiles, electronics, advertising, insurance, heavy manufacturing, engineering, and electronics which it’s popular for.
| Pro Tips Get inspiration for your next brand name from foreign languages and cultures. Use symbolism in your branding elements to fuel your mission. |
Coca-Cola
Launched in the aftermath of morphine addiction, Coca-cola is a drink created by Dr. John Pemberton in 1886. The drink was a syrup from kola nuts, cocoa leaves, and carbonated water. Frank Mason Robinson, John’s partner, suggested the name Coca-Cola for the syrup formula. Coca from the coca leaves and cola from the kola nuts. A very clever wordplay.
Being one of the oldest brands surviving to date, Coca-cola has since launched a series of product options ranging from Diet coke, Coke Zero, Fanta, Sprite, and so on. They’ve also invested heavily in creative marketing campaigns.
Coke suffered several sanctions and hiccups along the way. Especially since the initial beverage had cocaine in the mix at a time when it was the subject of a national debate. However, after many reforms, in 1929, the soda became entirely cocaine-free.
| Pro Tips Try using wordplay while creating your next business name. Optimize your brand by addressing concerns users have about your offerings. |
Conclusion
Some brands may have started as an experiment or in a dorm room, but ended up being so popular today. We’ve looked at a few and one thing they have in common is that their business names either tell a story, are memorable, or sell the vision of the company.
Ready to make your mark? Find the right business name for your brand today.
A brand’s value starts with its name and perception. There have been many businesses in the world, however, some simply stand out more than others. Their unique value has set them aside from the competition, whether it’s due to their name, marketing strategy, design, or logo.
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