Some of Most Valuable Global Brands Are Connecticut-Based Businesses

Connecticut remains ranked among the top 10 states for corporate brands, according to a new study.  London-based Brand Finance has calculated Connecticut as being home to 20 of the 500 most valuable brands in the nation.  Connecticut ranked seventh. The state also was strongly represented among the 500 most valuable brands in the world, with a half-dozen earning a slot in the global rankings.

The Spectrum brand of Stamford-based Charter Communications is now the most valuable among Connecticut-based companies, at number 83 in the rankings of most valuable global brands, and number 43 among U.S. companies.

Health insurance giant Aetna, which has flirted with merger and departure in the past year but remains headquartered in Hartford, is number 166 on the list of most valuable global brands, moving up from number 188 on last year’s list.  Among U.S.-based brands, Aetna ranked at number 70.

Booking.com, part of The Priceline Group, came in at number 274 on the global rankings, down from number 201 a year ago.

Bloomfield-based CIGNA, which also had a merger thwarted in recent months, was ranked number 305, jumping more than 100 positions on the list, from number 439 last year.

ESPN, with world headquarters in Bristol, is at number 381 on the global list, down from 356 a year ago.

Norwalk-based Priceline was ranked number 386, down from 357 last year.  Xerox, also based in Norwalk, was just behind at number 389, up from number 396 a year ago.

Subway, which recently announced the closure of more than 300 U.S. restaurants in 2016, was ranked number 464 on the list, down from number 417 in the previous annual ranking.

The top ranked global brands were Google, Apple (which switched places from a year ago), Amazon.com, AT&T, Microsoft, Verizon, Walmart, Facebook, Wells Fargo, McDonalds, IBM and Boston-based GE. Six years after it last held the title in 2011, Google is now the world’s most valuable brand with a value of US $109 billion, according to Brand Finance.

NBC, which is not headquartered in Connecticut but has operations in Stamford, was ranked number 93 on the list of the top global brands.  Xfinity, also part of the Philadelphia-based Comcast corporate family, is ranked number 37.

Also earning a spot on the U.S.-based top 500 list are Sheraton (part of Stamford-based Starwood), Carrier (United Technologies), Frontier, United Technologies, Otis (United Technologies), The Hartford, Pratt & Whitney, Praxair, Harman International, and Pitney Bowes.

On the industry-specific list of the most valuable global toy brands, topping the list is Lego.  The company, based in Denmark, has operations in Connecticut.  Lego was also named the world’s most powerful brand, along with google, Nike, VISA, Disney, NBC, PWC, Johnson & Johnson and McKinsey & Company. Lego scores highly on a wide variety of metrics including familiarity, loyalty, promotion, marketing investment, staff satisfaction and corporate reputation.

Financial accounting and reporting standards requires a clear definition of what intellectual property is included in the definition of ‘brand’, Brand Finance points out.  The website defines brand as the “Trademark and associated IP including the word mark and trademark iconography”.

Most Valuable Brands of Connecticut Based Companies (Ranking on list of US Companies) – Spectrum (43), Aetna (70), Booking.com (108), CIGNA (126), ESPN (162), priceline.com (164), Xerox (166), Sheraton (189), Subway (196), Carrier (203), Frontier (208), United Technologies (232), Otis (292), The Hartford (332), Pratt & Whitney (340), Praxair (351), Harman International (372), Pitney Bowes (471), and United Rentals (475).