In global value, Publix brand stands alone representing Florida businesses

• Robert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist

Tuesday, February 2, 2016 10:27am

Publix is the only business in Florida to make a top 500 ranking of the biggest brands in the world. SCOTT KEELER | TIMES

A ranking of the 500 most valuable global brands in business indicates Publix, the Lakeland based grocery chain, is Florida's sole entry on the list.

Publix is the dominant grocery chain in Florida, on Tuesday announcing its plans to enter the Virginia market, marking its 6th expansion state outside of Florida. Publix ranked 229th in the ranking of brand value in 2016, a sharp uptick from its 259th ranking in 2015. No other Florida-based company or product brand appeared in the annual ranking by Brand Finance, a London consulting firm specializing in valuing major brands, from corporations and product lines to sports teams and even the brand value of nations.

The top ten global brands, according to this ranking, are No. 1 Apple, followed by Google, Samsung, Amazon, Microsoft, Verizon, AT&T, Walmart, China Mobile and Wells Fargo. Eight of the top ten are brands of U.S. companies. Apple's brand was pegged at just under $146 billion.

The global brand ranking offers some notable insights. Technology companies increasingly dominate the upper ranks that once were the realm of names like McDonald's and Coca-Cola.

Several brand names appeared on the 2016 list for the first time. Xfinity, Comcast's cable TV brand, landed at No. 65. Ride-sharing phenom Uber hit the list for the first time at No. 109. Wellpoint, the health insurance business now known as Anthem, ranked No. 117.

Brands ranking close to Publix in global value include Nescafe, American Airlines, Rolex, Netflix, Michelin, Nivea, Kraft, Kroger, Macy's, Lockheed Martin and Victoria's Secret.

Among the better known brands, some of those rising most quickly in the rankings are Amazon, jumping to No. 4 from No. 8 last year; Wells Fargo rising to No. 10 from No. 15; Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, now No. 14 from No. 22; and Facebook, leaping to No. 18 from No. 32.

On the flip side, those major brands that are falling swiftly in value include Coca-Cola, falling to No. 17 from No. 12; IBM slipping to No. 22 from No. 13; Intel dropping to No. 40 from No. 30; Honda dropping to No. 49 from No. 39; and Pepsi falling to No. 56 from No. 41.

Who suffered the greatest hit? Volkswagen's scandal-plagued brand was gravely damaged by its emission-cheating crisis, plummeting to No. 57 from No. 18.