Microsoft’s B2B brand value has climbed by a third to nearly USD 293 billion, securing its place as the world’s most valuable B2B brand in Brand Finance’s 2025 ranking. The company’s growth reflects ongoing dominance in AI and enterprise cloud services.
Amazon Retains Second Place while Nvidia Surges to Third
Amazon also held firm in second place, while Nvidia made a stunning leap to third after a breakout financial year. The chipmaker nearly doubled its brand value, increasing by 98%—the fastest growth among all 250 brands assessed.
“Nvidia was also, by some distance, the fastest-growing B2B brand in the world, adding 98% to its brand value over the year,” the report noted.
AI Dominance Shifts Brand Dynamics
The index reveals that deep expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) has overtaken traditional delivery capabilities as the top driver of B2B brand preference. Semiconductor leaders like Intel and TSMC also posted strong results, riding the wave of rising AI demand.
“Deep expertise in AI is now the top driver of brand consideration and preference, surpassing more traditional attributes such as delivery capability,” the report found.
Growth Remains Steady Despite Slower Pace
The top 150 B2B brands collectively grew 8% in brand value in the past year, adding $250 billion. While that’s slightly below the 10% growth posted leading into 2024, it signals ongoing resilience in B2B markets.
US Brands Dominate Geographically
Geographically, the U.S. dominated the rankings with 111 brands. Asia, led by China, surpassed Europe with 66 entries compared to 57. A striking 91% of China’s brand value came from domestic markets, showcasing the power of internal demand.
Chinese financial firms like ICBC and China Construction Bank led the charge, with insurers Ping An and China Life rounding out top global placements.
Europe Struggles to Keep Pace
The report also highlights Europe’s struggle to keep pace. “The most recently founded European brand in the index opened its doors in 1984,” highlighting what analysts interpret as a lag in innovation.
Brand Matters in B2B Says Report Author
The report ranks “brand strength” based on consumer perceptions, assigning a score out of 10. China Construction Bank claimed the top spot, followed by PayPal and Microsoft. Report author Hugo Hensley emphasised B2B’s growing influence: “When looking at the top 500 brands of any description, 36% of total brand value comes from the B2B world”.
Still, B2B brand value typically comprises a smaller portion of business value—13%, compared with 18% in B2C.
Brand Investment Represents Trillion-Dollar Opportunity
“That delta equates to well more than a trillion dollars of enterprise value left on the table because the brand component is not as significant,” said Tom Stein, chairman of agency Stein.
He sees AI as a turning point for B2B visibility. “B2B is moving from being less visible to the world at large to highly visible… That process is continuing now with AI”.
Stein Urges Companies to View Branding as Essential
Stein urged companies to view branding as essential: “Brand is future demand. You can’t just pound the bottom of the funnel”.
LinkedIn’s Mimi Turner reinforced the importance of B2B brand building: “My heretical idea is that in B2B, brand is 10,000 times more important than it is in B2C… The stakes are higher and we’re more cautious”