From Apple to MasterCard: seven key lessons for boosting brand value

After eight years of tracking the rise and fall of the world's biggest companies, BrandZ shares what it has learned

Smart marketers go beyond learning from competition – they examine the successes and failures of the best brands operating in different sectors.

We've been tracking brand triumphs and tribulations for the past eight years in our BrandZ Top100 Most Valuable Global Brands Ranking and it seems some universal lessons apply.

Based on the fortunes of companies such as Amazon, Vodafone, Samsung and MasterCard, our analysis has identified seven key lessons that companies can use to boost brand value.

1. You can grow brand value incredibly fast if you build it on a human truth
However, the converse is also true and brands can fall from grace equally quickly. Apple's rapid rise from number 29 in the original BrandZ Top100 in 2006, with a brand value of $16bn (£ 10bn), to number 1 in 2013, with a value of $185bn (£ 110bn), comes off the back of a universal truth that people want technology to work simply and easily. The danger is that complacency leads to a swift demise.

2. You can ride the wave in your sector, but without your own connection, you won't make it to the top
Ultimately, to be a great brand you need your own connection with consumers. As a fast follower, Samsung has risen remarkably far and fast but has yet to make the move from a very good, solid brand to a great brand. There have been flashes of marketing excellence, including the recent Oscar selfie campaign, but it has yet to unearth its own universal truth.

3. A great product alone is not enough
That's because when people make decisions about which products and services to buy they are not always rational. The gap between Apple, Samsung and many other brands in the technology sector is frankly pretty small. But, as we all know, the gap in business performance is dramatic. The magic ingredient that brands need to add to functionality and performance is brand love and an affinity with consumers. Both Apple and Samsung lead the way through meeting the needs of consumers in a meaningful way.

4. International expansion isn't the only route to growth
While crossing borders has helped many British brands gain prominence in the modern world – from HSBC to Next and Shell to Dove – it is not always the answer. Walmart's massive purchasing power hasn't ensured a smooth global expansion and its BrandZ ranking has steadily declined over the past eight years to its current position at number 18 and $36bn (£ 22bn). Other retail brands have been much more successful by expanding their footprint into other categories, most notably Amazon.

5. The power of reinvention is massive
Across the world, innovation has been shown to drive tremendous growth. Disruptive category-changing innovation is the spiritual heartland of Amazon, but other brands have also taken a similar path. BT has dramatically improved its brand value by moving from fixed line to broadband to entertainment player.

6. The competition (and the opportunity) isn't always obvious
In many categories the biggest threat comes from the providers of substitute products and services. The success of Visa and MasterCard is testament to their ability to think beyond the obvious. The two brands may be fierce competitors but both clearly recognise that their common enemies are cash and cheques.

7. Just because you are from one country doesn't mean you can't also be a local brand right around the world
Some of the most iconic American brands, such as McDonald's and Coca-Cola, now feel local in almost every country. McDonald's and Coca-Cola have become part of the community wherever they operate and connect via universal truths such as Coca-Cola's happiness message.