Iran is ranked among the 50 most valuable nation brands in the world, according to a report titled "Nation Brands 2018" released by Brand Finance—a leading brand valuation and strategy consultancy.
Brand Finance’s annual Nation Brands report measures nations’ brands based on the country’s image and the economy as a whole.
Iran was ranked 39th in the 2017 report, but slipped five places in the 2018 report to rank 44th.
The country’s brand value has been put at $234 billion in 2018, indicating a 7% decline compared with last year’s $250 billion, the report said.
Iran's brand value has been put at $234 billion in 2018, indicating a 7% decline compared with last year’s $250 billion
Every country is also given a brand rating. Iran’s brand rating A+ hasn't changed despite the change in ranks.
Topping the list and maintaining its lead is the United States with a brand value of $25,899 billion, which rose by 23% compared to last year.
The fastest-growing brand in the top 50 of the Brand Finance Nation Brands 2018, Germany, saw a 28% brand value jump to $5.1 trillion. This has solidified the country’s position as Europe’s most valuable nation brand and the world’s third.
Following US is China in the second spot with a brand value of $12,779 billion. China’s brand value saw an increase of 25%, followed by Germany with $5,147 billion, the UK with $3,750 billion, Japan with $3,598 billion and France with $3,224 billion.
When it comes to Iran’s neighboring countries, the UAE and Saudi Arabia increased the value of their “nation brands” in 2018, based on the strength of their goods and services, investment potential and quality of life.
The UAE’s nation brand value grew 19% to $707 billion, placing the country at the 20th spot. Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s largest economy, saw its nation brand value jump 18% to $677 billion, ranking 21st, compared with 22nd in the previous report.
The ongoing economic crisis alongside the fall in value of lira have seen Turkey’s brand value decline by one-third to $382 billion from $570 billion last year. Turkey is ranked 34th, down from last year’s 24th. Russia is ranked 18th, Qatar 40th, Pakistan 51st, Iraq 64th and Azerbaijan Republic 84th.
Brand Finance, the London-headquartered consultancy, measures the strength and value of brands using a method based on the royalty relief mechanism employed to value the world’s largest companies. It looks into nation brand strength, royalty rate, revenues, weighted average cost of capital or discount rate and brand valuation.
Total value is also based on five-year forecasts of sales of the biggest corporate brands in each nation. Brand Finance produces a similar annual ranking of the world's most valuable brands.
“The effect of a country’s national image on the brands based there and the economy as a whole is now widely acknowledged. In a global marketplace, it is one of the most important assets of any state, encouraging inward investment, adding value to exports and attracting tourists and skilled migrants,” Brand Finance CEO David Haigh said in the report.
