The 8 Most Valuable Trademarks of 2022
Building a brand is a huge undertaking, not for the faint of heart. The future of your business, its profitability, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees are all top-of-mind from day one. What is valuable to some, may not be to others.
From Susie’s Cupcakes to behemoths like Google and Microsoft, these everyday concerns are the same but on a different scale.
The Value of a Trademark
Trademarks are a bedrock of brand valuation. The value of your enterprise or brand encompasses all company assets, including trademarks. Each trademark that a company holds retains its particular worth.
The accumulation of these trademarks, the products they represent, and other assets like property, equipment, and future earnings, are vital components of a brand’s value.
What Makes a Trademark Valuable?
Future earnings potential is the most significant consideration in valuing a trademark. Other factors include the cost of its creation, royalty savings (ownership means no licensing fees), and goodwill (potential to increase trademark value).
Longevity in the marketplace also plays a significant role in company and trademark values. While Microsoft and Apple have only been around for about 50 years and Google even less, Bank of America can trace its roots to the earliest days of the United States.
How any brand performs over time will significantly impact its value, including the valuation of individual trademarks. Strong brands will benefit from the passage of time while weaker concerns fade into history.
The actual value of any trademark is the recognition, and trust consumers place in it. Carefully crafting a trusted brand requires a sound strategy, significant planning, and consistent effort over time.
But, even a new brand with a new trademark can build substantial trust with appropriate management, planning, and execution.
The 8 Big Ones
You only need to look at this year’s list of top trademark valuations to understand the degree to which a strong trademark portfolio can impact the value of a brand.
Today, seven of the eight most valuable trademarks and brands are either technology companies or players in the technology space. One hundred years ago, this list would look much different, with steel, railroad, and oil companies leading the way.
Here is the trademark value leaderboard.
1. Google
Hands-down, the absolute number one search engine on the web, Google’s trademark value comes in at $44.3 billion. Today, its market capitalization sits at $164 billion.
2. Microsoft
A couple of college students with a big idea drop out and start a software company in the garage; the rest is history. Now the largest software company in the world, Microsoft also sells game consoles and other related consumer products. Its trademark value is $42.8 billion, with a $204 billion market cap.
3. Walmart
The world’s largest retailer, Walmart, employs over 2 million workers in nearly 9000 stores. Today, this international concern holds trademarks with a value of $36.2 billion at a $184 billion market capitalization.
4. IBM
As one of the elder statesman in technology, IBM has more patents than any other technology company and a trademark portfolio valued at $36.2 billion. Still, a strong player in the technology field with updated systems like Watson, the market cap for IBM is $199 billion.
5. Vodafone
This telecommunications giant operates networks in over 20 countries and partners with over 40 networks in other countries. It boasts a trademark valuation of $30.7 billion with a $138 billion market capitalization.
6. Bank of America
The only non-technology company on this list, Bank of America undoubtedly has significant technology holdings. This banking giant, with thousands of US locations and others around the globe, has a $30.6 billion trademark portfolio and $109 billion market capitalization.
7. General Electric
Founded in 1892, today, GE has interests in everything from healthcare and finance to appliances and aerospace. While not a technology company per se, GE products and programs employ numerous technologies. The GE trademark portfolio has a value of $30.5 billion and a market capitalization of $197 billion.
1. Apple
Beginning with the Mac, Apple has been a long-time player in consumer electronics. Their smartphones are among their most well-known and successful products and help support the $29.5 billion trademark portfolio and $307 billion market capitalization.
Conclusion
While your business and brand may not have the name recognition or market share these giants do, everybody has to start someplace.
Building a brand is the same as anything else you want to do well in life. Commit to your idea, make a plan, and work to realize your goals every day, one step at a time.
At Trademark Factory®, we help entrepreneurs just like you every day to build a successful brand through effective trademark strategies. Our professional trademark attorneys and highly trained and dedicated staff know how to manage the bureaucratic maze and get your registration approved – it’s what we do.
And your costs are fixed with our flat rate, 100% money-back guarantee of trademark registration success; you have nothing to worry about. We guarantee your trademark registration, or you will receive a full refund.
You save time and money while we take the risk.
There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big; you should do it.
Bring those big dreams to Trademark Factory®, and we will take care of your trademark while you do what you do best, build your business.
Contact us today and start building that brand.