JEDDAH – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, has soared from 18th to the 6th place on the list of the top 500 Global Most Valuable Brands in 2012 published by Brand Finance Report – an annual report on the world's most valuable global brands. Samsung has performed exceedingly well this year, with its brand value increasing by 78 percent. The study was conducted by Brand Directory, an online encyclopedia of brands where financial results, visual identities, trademark histories and the latest marketing news are compiled and shared, listed the top 500 ranking brands worldwide. Samsung Electronics was ranked at 18th place last year valued at $21.5 billion (over SR80 billion). However, in 2012, the company was able to penetrate the top 10 brands and rank 6th valued at $38.1 billion (over SR142 billion) due to exponential launching of the most innovative technologies and increased consumer engagement activities around the globe. Samsung Electronics strives to excel in the domain of consumer electronics. This is evident with the quality and type of technologies being unveiled to consumers before the market even demands. Samsung has continued to prove itself as an industry trendsetter, providing the region with products that exceed consumer expectations and leading the world toward innovative smart technologies in every household including 3D enhancements. This also includes the company being the pioneer and the first to launch the exclusively successful Smart TV concept among other superb products such as the Galaxy S3, creation of Galaxy Note Smart phone category, Eco Bubble washing machine, Wi-Fi cameras among many others from multiple business units. Samsung has also been the market leader for over 6 consecutive years in the LED segment, demonstrating the firm's excellence and perfection in audiovisual display units. Samsung constantly communicates its utmost appreciation to consumers, greatly engaging within the communities they operate in, whom with their continued trust and loyalty paved way for the company to become a worldwide renowned valued brand. The company has adopted a global CSR platform of providing ‘Hope for Children', focusing on supporting children's education and health related issues, as Samsung will continue a dedicated effort that provides tools and technology that empower young people to learn, create and collaborate in an effort to improve global communities. This includes providing the generation of tomorrow with resources that will inspire them to preserve and enjoy the planet and increased employment opportunities that will be enhanced via extensive training on all disciplines of consumer electronics by dedicated Samsung instructors. In addition, as an official global sponsor of the Olympic Games, Samsung had a vision of connecting regions of the world together during the pre-Games torch relay. The “Top 10 Most Valuable Global Brands” in 2012, arranged according to rank, are: Apple, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Walmart, Samsung, General Electric, Coca-Cola, Vodafone, and Amazon.com Technology brands dominate the Global 500 2012. Technology brands have seen an increase of 81 percent and are the real winners of the Global 500 this year. Forty nine technology companies appear in the Global 500 and it is officially the most valuable sector in the Report this year. Apple has leapfrogged Google to be named the world's most valuable brand and has enjoyed the highest ever valuation calculated by Brand Finance at an impressive $70.6 billion. As technology booms, the future of the retail industry appears to be online. Online giant Amazon.com had a hugely successful year in 2011 as their brand value increased by 61 percent. Although Walmart remained the world's most valuable retail brand, with a value of $38.3 billion, Amazon.com and eBay both appear to be catching up on their rival. – SG
