Germany’s latest brand valuation ranking reflects the strong foundations of multiple legacy brands that have built great strength, affinity, and pride amongst people over time. The Top 50 most valuable German brands of today are worth $372bn, representing a 5% increase over two years.
Highlights from 2023’s study, which is based on the opinions of more than 87,000 respondents about 1980 unique brands across 160 categories include:
- Telecommunications Provider, Telekom/T-mobile, takes the number one spot with a brand value of $62.7bn, an impressive increase of 43% since 2021
- The most valuable category is Germany’s iconic Automotive sector, with Mercedes-Benz (No.3; $24.6bn) leading the way, followed by BMW (No.4; $22.4bn)
- Retail features the largest number of brands, led by online giant Otto (+44%; $1.9bn) which climbed seven positions to No.35
- Two newcomers enter the ranking: Jacobs (No.30; $2.2bn) and MAN (No.37; $1.8bn)
- TUI (No.39; $1.6bn) and Dr.Oetker (No.43; $1.2bn) return to the Top 50
German brands stand out in three areas that are crucial for growth today: purpose, sustainability, and diversity and inclusion, and people overall perceive them to be especially committed to sustainability. Find out more about how the biggest German brand value success stories are strengthening connections with customers in the full report.
Infographic
Germany’s top-performing brands have managed to outpace the economy, with a quarter of brands in the ranking growing 20% or more. Many of them are succeeding by leaning into the country’s excellent reputation for design and innovation, but also because they are leading in softer measures that are increasingly vital to connecting with consumers. Take a look at this summary of Germany’s leading brands, category performance and more.

Video
Germany has shown that its economy is more resilient against turbulence than many experts predicted. Due to quick intervention and thoughtful labour policies, the country experienced one of the smallest contractions of any major economy during the pandemic. Take a closer look at Germany’s Top 50 most valuable brands, those standing the test of time and making it through challenges such as inflation and supply chain shortages.
Methodology
Since 2006, Kantar BrandZ has been quantifying the value of the most popular brands around the world. Consumer perceptions are at the heart of our brand valuation methodology, and always have been, with 4.2 million interviews conducted to date. In this video, we walk through the methodology behind our brand valuation rankings, a three-step process, which uses financial value and brand contribution to determine the brand’s value. Learn more about the methodology behind Kantar BrandZ’s brand valuation rankings.
Germany’s most valuable brands are proving their resilience. Against a backdrop of the twin challenges of COVID-19 and the threat of a lasting economic recession, the overall value of Germany’s Top 50 ranking has grown by 5%.
SAP retains its position as Germany’s most valuable brand, growing by 9% to $55.6 billion in brand value. Deutsche Telekom remains second with a valuation of $47.1 billion. BMW secures third position, growing by 5% to $23.1 billion.
Zalando (no.16) becomes the fastest riser in the German Top 50 ranking this year, growing by 64% in brand value to $5.1 billion. Access rich data and analysis on Germany’s top brands, learnings spanning 19 categories and thought leadership on pricing and perceptions of fairness, as well as the role of sustainability in the future of German brands.
Download the Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable German Brands 2021 report
Download the Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable German Brands 2021 infographic
Featuring 18 industry sectors, Germany has the most diverse BrandZ country ranking. With a value of $336 billion, it remains the most valuable in Europe, ahead of France, Spain and the UK.
SAP maintains its top spot in 2020 with a valuation of $50.9 billion, while Deutsche Telekom grows 9% to $44.9 billion to stay in second place. Mercedes-Benz is the biggest car brand at number three with a brand value of $22.1 billion.
Download the BrandZ Most Valuable German Brands 2020 report
Download the BrandZ Most Valuable German Brands 2020 infographic
Home to a host of Europe’s most valuable brands, the BrandZ Top 50 German brands have grown 11% in the past year to a cumulative value of $341 billion making it the third most valuable BrandZ ranking globally behind the US and China.
While consumers perceive German brands as some of the most innovative in Europe, they struggle to form an emotional connection with them as love scores for the Top 50 decreasing year-on-year. These brands may be huge global success stories but greater warmth would help them deliver event more growth.
Take a look at the report to discover what consumers really think about Germany’s most valuable brands, which brands have climbed the ranking, and how to build a strong brand that stands the test of time.
Download the BrandZ Most Valuable German Brands 2019 report
Download the BrandZ Most Valuable German Brands 2019 infographic
Kantar and WPP have published the first BrandZ™ Top 50 Most Valuable German Brands ranking and report. The annual report will cover the evolving landscape for German brands and track their value. The total value of the 2018 BrandZ Top 50 German brands is $305.7 bn underscoring Germany’s role as the economic engine of Europe.
SAP leads the ranking, with Deutsche Telekom taking the no. 2 spot followed by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and DHL. The car category, which also includes Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen, dominated the ranking with a combined value of $66.6 bn.
The report also highlights the importance for German brands to both continually innovate, and communicate their innovation to customers, if they want to protect themselves from global disruptive brands. The report covers some of the successes of companies that are adapting quickly both to changing technologies and consumer demand.
Read the report to find out more about the German market; how the most successful brands are performing as well as new strategies for building healthy brands that will stand the test of time.
Download the BrandZ Most Valuable German Brands 2018 report
Download the BrandZ Most Valuable German Brands 2018 infographic