The Magic Number “Eight”By Peter Walshe, Global BrandZ™ Director

ThE Magic NuMbEr “EighT”

Peter Walshe, Global BrandZ™ Director reflects on the brands that have held the position as eighth in its BrandZ™ Top100 ranking of the Most Valuable Global Brands. The 2013 rankings will be announced on Tuesday, May 21st.

The Magic Number “Eight”By Peter Walshe, Global BrandZ™ Director

IBM at #8 in 2006

“Eight” is a Magic Number in Physics. atomic Nuclei of Magic Numbers (ironically there are seven of them) have a greater binding power and thus are stronger and more stable.

Strong brands are also more stable and sustainable. Eight years ago in the first BrandZ Top 100 ranking, the first number eight was IBM valued at $36.1bn IBM is still the most valuable B2B brand in the world today. It is testament to a leadership philosophy based on being meaningfully different at all stages of its long life. From developing

artificial intelligence in 1956, to designing the IBM 704 designed to play checkers and to “learn” from the experience, to being involved with technology that landed the first man on the moon to creating the industry standard in the 1980s for personal computing, IMB is a brand with many golden moments. But it has not stood still. Its continued reinvention and focus on relevance to the needs of the day have seen it refocusing on high value government and corporate business. The “Smarter Planet” positioning of today neatly encapsulates its vision. No wonder the brand is rated on BrandZ™ as one of the top 10 brands worldwide in “leadership” and “responsibility.”

Citibank at #8 in 2007

“Eight” is a particularly lucky number in china because it sounds like a word that means “generating wealth.”

Citibank has been a wealth generator since 1812, and was number eight in our 2007 rankings with a value of $33.7bn. The brand was an innovator in being the first bank to introduce automated teller machines (ATMs) in the 1970s to give customers 24-hour access to their accounts. The number eight has not proven so lucky for Citi as it has (along with many other banks) been hit by the financial crisis and so has slipped down the rankings – but is still among the Top 100 brands in the world (and stands a good chance of still being so in 2013). BrandZ data suggests that customers and potential customers regard it as a fairly “assertive” brand that in good times provides a good financial return.

McDonald’s at #8 in 2008

“‘Eight’ Days a Week” was a beatles Number One hit in the uSa in 1965 (their seventh – “Ticket to ride” was the eighth). it is claimed that the beatles chauffeur answered John Lennon on how he had been: “Oh, working hard. You know, eight days a week.”

A brand that is synonymous with fun and play is McDonald’s (at number eight in 2008 with a brand value of $49.4bn). It certainly has worked hard at making its offer more relevant for today, with improvements in outlets and the introduction of a wider and healthier range of products. What has probably been music to the CEO’s ears is that it has been in the Top 10 ever since the BrandZ rankings started and stands a good chance of being a hit again in 2013. It is a fun, friendly, great value brand according to BrandZ and strongly differentiated in a meaningful way.

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The Magic Number “Eight”By Peter Walshe, Global BrandZ™ Director

AT&T at #8 in 2012

The atomic number of Oxygen is, yes, eight.

Fueled for success, AT&T is the current (2012) number eight with a brand value of $68.8bn. It has benefitted from the expansion of telecommunications needs, changing from voice to data to rise from the 73rd most valuable brand in the world position in 2006. The advent of the iPhone, and then the iPad, has acted as a catalyst to growth for the brand. AT&T is seen as a leadership brand, assertive and in control, but with a good corporate reputation. It is one to watch for progress in the new ranking.

Who Will be at #8 in 2013?

Pieces of eight. a piece of eight was the Spanish silver dollar, widely used across many countries in the late Eighteenth Century - such that it was really the first world currency. Then the uS dollar subsequently took over and it is no coincidence that its symbol is really an eight ($).

The total value of the Top 100 brands (expressed in modern “pieces of eight,” the US $) has grown on average about 8 percent year on year since we started measuring them in 2006. What will happen in 2013? Find out Tuesday, May 21st at www.millwardbrown.com/BrandZ

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General Electric at #8 in 2009

Timothy Leary came up with the eight-circuit model of consciousness to describe how our “eight brains” work within our nervous system.

More than eight brains are clearly evident in a nerveless General Electric (GE), our fourth number eight in 2009 with a brand value of $59.7bn. GE has made a very successful business out of sophisticated support and infrastructure for business with a slogan that sums the brand up: “Imagination at work.” Indeed on the personality data from BrandZ, we see the brand strongly rated for being “creative.”

China Mobile at #8 in 2010

Our planet is one of eight that revolve around the sun.

The brand with the most mobile subscribers on our planet (and by definition on all the eight planets) is China Mobile, number eight in 2010 with a brand value of $52.6bn. It is the most valuable Asian brand, the first brand from the BRICs to make it in our Top 100 ranking in 2006, and yet a mere split-second of a light year old, having only been formed in 1997. Although consumers generally ascribe more rational attributes to telecommunications companies, they see China Mobile as “different,” “wise,” and “kind.” This response indicates that it has been able to establish a warm bond with its customers. In fact, it is rated among the top 10 most recommended brands by users across the Top 100 most valuable brands, suggesting that the brand consistently delivers on its promise.

Marlboro at #8 in 2011

The eighth sign of the zodiac is Scorpio – the scorpion. and, of course, all arachnids have eight legs.

Number eight in 2011 was Marlboro with a brand value of $67.5bn. But as regulation increases and penetration of smoking continues to decline so we see and are likely to see a fall in the rankings over the years. Like a Scorpio, it is adventurous, brave and a little bit of a rebel. It coincidentally has eight letters in its name.