Mercedes-Benz is continuing to extend its position as the world’s most valuable premium automobile brand according to the current rankings for “Best Global Brands 2014” compiled by renowned US brand consultancy Interbrand, the Mercedes brand has advanced to 10th place and as such is the only European company to make it into the top 10 of the 100 most valuable brands. Compared with the previous year, the brand’s value has risen by eight percent to 34.34 billion dollars and has thus achieved continued growth since 2009. In the last two years Mercedes-Benz was placed 11th in the rankings.
“We are proud and delighted that we have been able to further raise the value of our brand through our focused marketing measures”, commented Dr Jens Thiemer, Head of Marketing Communication, Mercedes-Benz Cars. “This shows that with our product offensive and new sales strategy, both of which are geared towards the needs and wishes of our customers, we have been able to achieve new highs all round – both in terms of sales and also our reputation.”
The authors of the “Best Global Brands” study based the renewed growth in value on the ability of Mercedes-Benz to open up the brand to new, younger target groups based on new models and a new design. They also said that the success of the new E-Class, CLA or GLA has demonstrated that the new design idiom has been very well received as it allows customers to stand out from the crowd in visual terms. At the same time, the expansion of sales channels and the strengthening of brand communications in China have contributed to an impressive increase in sales, according to the study.
Mercedes-Benz posted the strongest sales month in the company’s history to date in September and the first month with customer deliveries of more than 160,000 vehicles (162,746 units, +13.8%). Moreover, with sales from July to September, the company has had the strongest quarter in its history to date (412,018 units, +11.9%). Mercedes-Benz has posted double-digit growth since the start of the year (+12.5%) and thus a new record with sales of 1,195,156 cars.
Since the beginning of the year, Mercedes-Benz has achieved particularly strong growth rates in the Asia-Pacific region: In China, the company continued on its course of success of recent months and grew unit sales to a new record high of 203,485 vehicles (+30.5%).
The “Best Global Brands” are identified by Interbrand annually. The study is considered by leading CEOs worldwide to represent the competitive benchmark for the value of international brands. The study is designed to identify the world’s 100 most valuable brands.
