New Brand Finance data shows 21 Japanese banks represent $42.3 billion in collective brand value
TOKYO, 20 March 2025 – SMBC leads the Japanese banking sector in the rankings, standing ahead of 20 other brands, according to the latest Banking 500 2025 journal by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy.
SMBC (brand value up 45% to USD13.1 billion), climbed up 11 ranks to secure the 25th spot in the global rankings this year. The bank's strong performance is driven by solid growth across all business units and higher forecasts.
MUFG (brand value up 14% to USD10.7 billion), secured the 31st position among the world's 500 most valuable banking brands. The bank maintained financial stability, driven by strong profitability supported by customer segment growth, gains from the sale of equity securities, increased earnings from equity method investments, and favourable foreign exchange fluctuations.
Meanwhile, JP Bank (brand value up 41% to USD5 billion) ranked as the eighth strongest banking brand globally, earning a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 93.9/100 with a AAA+ brand strength rating. With its operations exclusively in Japan, JP Bank enjoys profound consumer trust, as customers are both well-acquainted with and reassured by the bank, fostering deeper engagement.
Alex Haigh, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific at Brand Finance, commented:
"Japanese banking brands continue to show resilience and adaptability in an evolving global landscape. SMBC’s remarkable growth highlights the strength of its strategic initiatives, while MUFG’s stability reinforces its position as a key player in international banking. Meanwhile, JP Bank’s strong brand equity demonstrates the power of consumer trust in driving brand strength. Bank of Kyoto’s impressive rise further reflects the impact of strategic expansion and diversification in enhancing brand value."
Bank of Kyoto (brand value up 79% to USD322 million) climbed up 99ranks to place 390th in the global rankings. This growth is driven by strategic initiatives, including the acquisition of a 90% stake in Sekisui Leasing Co., Ltd. in June 2024. The move underscores the bank’s commitment to diversifying its service offerings and strengthening its financial solutions portfolio, reinforcing its market position and brand value.
Banking Industry Global Insights
The total brand value of the world’s 500 most valuable banking brands has surged by 13% year-on-year to reach USD1.6 trillion, marking the first double-digit increase in four years. This follows two years of sluggish 2% brand value growth and reflects the banking sector's ability to sustain momentum despite market volatility.
Chinese banking brands continue to dominate the ranking, with ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China) retaining its position as the most valuable banking brand in the world for the ninth consecutive year, growing 10% to USD79.1 billion.
UK neobank Revolut is the fastest-growing banking brand globally, with a 795% increase in brand value to USD1.9 billion, driven by strong revenue growth, customer expansion, and significant marketing investment.
Indonesia’s BCA retains its title as the world’s strongest banking brand, with a BSI score of 97.1/100 and an elite AAA+ rating. The ranking reinforces the growing strength of local and regional banks, with many in Asia and Africa excelling in customer trust and digital innovation.
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 evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, 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.
