Rolls-Royce (Aerospace & Defence) becomes Britain's strongest brand; aerospace and defence sector grows 41% to £13.1bn, adding £5.4bn in value since 2022, marking sector’s fastest growth since 2012
LONDON, 18 June 2026 – Britain’s biggest brands returned to growth in 2026 for the first time in three years, adding GBP45.4 billion in value, according to new analysis published today by Brand Finance.
The combined value of the UK’s 250 leading brands rose 12% year on year to GBP448.9 billion. Aerospace and defence and insurance were among the strongest performing sectors, while automotive recorded one of the sharpest declines. Shell retained its position as the UK’s most valuable brand for the 10th consecutive year, marking a major milestone for the energy giant. Its brand value increased 16% to GBP39.5 billion, supported by continued strength across its energy portfolio and a strategic focus on higher-return activities.
Aerospace & defence records its fastest sector growth since 2012, increasing 41% to GBP13.1 billion. Rolls-Royce (Aerospace & Defence) became Britain’s strongest brand for the first time, with brand value rising 54% year on year. The results arrive as Westminster debates how to fund the government's Defence Investment Plan ahead of next month's NATO summit - and provide concrete evidence that rearmament is already generating measurable economic value. Since 2022, rearmament has added GBP5.4 billion in brand value to Britain’s top two defence brands, Rolls-Royce (Aerospace & Defence) and BAE Systems, representing a 91% increase over four years.
The sector's growth is increasingly export-led, with leading defence brands generating most of their revenue overseas, particularly in the U.S. - underlining defence's role not just as a matter of national security, but as a driver of the government's wider growth agenda.
Banking is the UK’s most valuable sector at GBP79.2 billion, up 24% year on year. Revolut was the fastest-growing brand in the UK 250 ranking, increasing 246% to GBP5 billion. Across the sector, seven of the eight largest banking brands increased in value.
Marks & Spencer recorded one of the strongest recoveries in this year’s ranking, with brand value increasing 46% to GBP4.8 billion year on year, compared with GBP1.9 billion in 2021, supported by growth in food, continued development of partnerships, and investment across stores and product ranges.
Annie Brown, Managing Director - UK, Brand Finance commented:
“The standout feature of this year’s ranking is where growth came from. The result shows that growth in brand value is being generated across different parts of the economy. Banking is the UK’s most valuable sector, aerospace and defence delivered its strongest gains in brand value since 2012, and established consumer brands continued to recover. Consumer trust also remained an important driver of performance, with our analysis showing that the UK’s most trusted brands increased in value by 15% in 2026, while the least trusted brands saw their value decline by 4%.”
Brand Finance’s long-term analysis also points to sustained growth over time. Since 2016, the cumulative value of the UK’s top 100 brands has increased by 33%, despite periods of economic and market disruption, highlighting the resilience of the UK’s leading brands and their ability to create value through changing economic cycles. It also demonstrates the growing importance of strong brands as strategic assets, helping businesses navigate uncertainty, maintain customer loyalty, and support long-term growth.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
