View the full Brand Finance Logistics 25 2020 report here
Top 25 logistics brands could lose up to $16bn from COVID-19
The world’s top 25 most valuable logistics brands could lose up to US$16.7 billion worth of brand value as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest Brand Finance Logistics 25 2020 report. Brand Finance’s analysis shows that the logistics sector is a moderately impacted industry globally and could face a potential 10% loss in brand value.
The sheer size, diversification and complexity of the logistics sector means that brands are going to be affected differently from the unique challenges that have arisen from COVID-19. On the one hand, the e-commerce, and post and parcel division, have benefitted and flourished as people resort and rely on online orders more amid global lockdowns. This increase in B2C business, however, has not been able to compensate for the heavy decline in B2B volumes generated through supply chain and global freight forwarding services.
Looking beyond the logistics sector, the value of the 500 most valuable brands in the world, ranked in the Brand Finance Global 500 2020 league table, could fall by an estimated US$1 trillion as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Brand Finance has assessed the impact of COVID-19 based on the effect of the outbreak on enterprise value, compared to what it was on 1st January 2020. The likely impact on brand value was estimated for each sector. The industries have been classified into three categories – limited impact (minimal brand value loss or potential brand value growth), moderate impact (up to 10% brand value loss), and heavy impact (up to 20% brand value loss) – based on the level of brand value loss observed for each sector in the first quarter of 2020.
Richard Haigh, Managing Director, Brand Finance, commented:
“Looking forward, as the world seeks to recover from the monumental disruption that COVID-19 has posed, we may witness a reconfiguration of global supply chains, either shortened or diversified in some way, as the pandemic has exposed the faults and flaws in the current mode of operation. Those brands that rise to this challenge are likely to fare better in the coming year.”
UPS posts top brand value
UPS has retained the title of the world’s most valuable logistics brand with a brand value of US$29.5 billion. As the world's largest package delivery brand, UPS employs over 495,000 people globally and in 2019 delivered a staggering 5.5 billion packages and documents. UPS celebrated strong revenue growth last year, thanks to the brand’s strong volume growth in the US, which is thriving under its new transformation initiatives, including increased automated capacity and new aircraft within the fleet.
Despite global disruption from COVID-19, UPS has benefitted from the spike in demand for home deliveries, posting higher than expected revenues and profits in Q2 this year. This, paired with stronger demand in Asia and increased healthcare shipping activity, has gone someway to protect the brand from the coronavirus fallout.
DSV soars 41%
Denmark’s DSV is the fastest growing logistics brand in the world following a 41% brand value growth to US$2.2 billion. With the Panalpina acquisition completed in August last year, the merger has launched DSV to become the world’s second largest airfreight forwarder, only behind DHL (brand value down 9% to US$10.1 billion). This merger has expanded the brand’s global footprint, increased freight volumes, network and capacity as well as bringing new vertical expertise and products, all of which puts the brand in a strong position to grow the business even further.
MTR is sector’s strongest
In addition to measuring overall brand value, Brand Finance also evaluates the relative strength of brands, based on factors such as marketing investment, customer familiarity, staff satisfaction, and corporate reputation. Alongside revenue forecasts, brand strength is a crucial driver of brand value. According to these criteria, MTR (up 9% to US$2.9 billion) is the world’s strongest logistics brand with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 84.8 out of 100 and a corresponding AAA brand strength rating.
Celebrating its 40th year of operation, MTR now boasts over 260km of railway networks in Hong Kong, carrying over 1.9 billion passengers per year. Maintaining its on-time passenger journeys at an outstanding level of 99.9%, the brand has broken world records for its best-in-class service.
MTR has suffered a tumultuous year, however, with the civil unrest that has swept Hong Kong significantly impacting the brand, with rioters repeatedly targeting the network and vandalising its stations. This, paired with the repercussions felt from the coronavirus pandemic, namely the drastic decline in travel demand and ridership, signals a difficult journey ahead for the brand.
View the full Brand Finance Logistics 25 2020 report here
Note to Editors
Every year, Brand Finance values 5,000 of the world’s biggest brands. The 25 most valuable logistics brands are included in the Brand Finance Logistics 25 2020 report.
Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market. Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors.
Additional insights, charts, and more information about the methodology, as well as definitions of key terms are available in the Brand Finance Logistics 25 2020 report.
Data compiled for the Brand Finance rankings and reports are provided for the benefit of the media and are not to be used for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance for more than 25 years, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organizations of all kinds make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance has offices in over 20 countries, offering services on all continents. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 5,000 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 over 5,000 brands, surveying more than 150,000 respondents across 38 countries and 31 industry sectors. Combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database enables Brand Finance to arm brand leaders with the data and analytics they need to enhance brand and business value.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm, leading the standardization 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.
