Apple and Sony Tie for Top Position: Ranking of 600 Brands in Japan

Apple and Sony were both ranked in the top position in the 2020 Nikkei Research's "Brand Perception Index." Microsoft (4th), Google (5th) and Coca-Cola (10th) were also present in the top ten list, together with a number of Japanese domestic brands. In 2020, Apple again defended its No.1 position of the previous year, while Microsoft and Google each dropped in the rankings by one place. Coca-Cola experienced a great lift, rising to 10^th place from 18th.

Table. Top 10 Brands: Rankings in the Brand Perception Index

* The PQ (Perception Quotient) was originally developed by Nikkei Research and represents the brand's overall strength. It compromises four key elements and combined data from both consumers and businesspersons.

Nikkei Research's "Brand Perception Index" is derived from a large-scale survey held annually. The underlying data is a composition of facts, thoughts and emotions collected from both consumers and businesspersons, stacking up to over 200 data points from each respondent.

THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Rather than solely taking ranking number into account, it is important to compare each brand with the right competitors. However, this can be tricky sometimes, as the definitions of "industry" and "market" can differ in a variety of ways. Many enterprises operate multiple business segments, and information on companies that are in other industries can also be of great value. Do not worry - because we measure 600 brands across broad variety of industry sectors, it will be easy for you to find and select the right competitors.

Figure: Distribution of each industry's minimum/average/maximum PQ score

TRAJECTORY THROUGH THE DECADE

We store and make available data for over 15 years. Whether you want to check the performance year-by-year or examine the impact of a significant incident in the past, the information is here.

Figure: Timeline transitions of Apple's and Sony's PQ score

PERFORMANCE DEEP-DIVE

The index is derived from key elements used to evaluate brand equity. You can conduct comparisons with your competitors and gain a more profound understanding of your current position. Alternatively, you can compare your score year-by-year to check performance and determine whether your corporate branding activities have been making expected good progress.

Figure: Performance deep-dive

UNDERLYING METHODOLOGY

Since 2003, Nikkei Research has been measuring the strength of the corporate brands that operate in Japan. In 2020, the 18th survey collected responses from 47,136 consumers and 46,636 businesspersons in total, averaging nearly 800 responses for each brand. The 600 brands were carefully chosen broadly across 60 distinctive industry sectors, with consideration given to market share, revenues and other influential economic factors.

Covered industry segments: Food & Beverage, Petroleum, Chemical, Materials, Vehicles, Electronics, Precision Machinery, Pharmaceuticals, CPG/FMCG, Other Manufacturing, Trading, Retail, Finance/Insurance, Construction, Real Estate, Transportation, Electricity/Gas, Service, Restaurants, IT/telecommunication, Software, Consulting

Example lists of foreign brands included: 3M, Adidas, Adobe, Amazon, American Express, Apple, BMW, Facebook, GE, Google, HP, IBM, Intel, LG, Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, MSD, Nike, Oracle, Samsung, SAP, Starbucks, Tesla, Uber, Visa, Volkswagen, Walt Disney

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