Ecosystem Brands Rule

The well-known BrandZ ranking of top global brands (by value) is out--and so-called ecosystem brands are leading the way, yet again.

In 2017, the top 10 brands, as ranked by BrandZ in terms of value, are:

10. McDonald's (US-based)
9.   IBM (US)
8.   Tencent, owner of WeChat (Chinese)
7.   Visa (US)
6.   AT&T (US)
5.   Facebook (US)
4.   Amazon (US) - ecosystem brand
3.   Microsoft (US) - ecosystem brand
2.   Apple (US) - ecosystem brand
1.   Google (US) - ecosystem brand

A senior BrandZ exec says: "Ecosystem brands cleverly meet our needs and make our lives easier by offering us all sorts of things that are connected so we gain this traction with them."

In other words, Microsoft and other ecosystem brands encourage repeat purchasing and brand loyalty with multiple offerings that supplement and coordinate with each other. Microsoft and Apple, for instance, offer operating systems . . . software . . . hardware . . . services . . . and so on. The more offerings a customer buys into over time, the higher the lifetime customer value. Ecosystem brands offer value and, in turn, customers value those brands highly.