A study reveals public logo recognition of top 200 global companies
Automated logo designers GraphicSprings have released a study revealing the world’s most powerful logos, in terms of public recognition. In order to understand the impact well-designed logos have on a brand’s success, the graphics company commissioned a poll asking individuals to identify the logos of the top 200 most profitable companies worldwide. The results of the study show that the profit and market value of a company do not always correlate with levels of recognition, as many of the world’s most profitable corporations are virtually unknown.
The study focuses on the top 200 corporations around the world based on yearly revenue, taking into account sales, profits and assets in US$ Billions. The visually-aided survey asked 24,000 participants from Europe, America and Asia to rank each logo on their recognizability, and the results are divided generationally, regionally and ranked by average responses. The participants were divided into the following age categories: Millennial, Xennial, Generation X and Baby Boomers. The results were then numbered and ranked. Each rank is expressed as a percentage, meaning that a rank of 100 indicates that 100% of respondents correctly identified the logo.
The full methodology can be found at the bottom of the press release.
To view the full results of the study, please see here: https://www.graphicsprings.com/most-powerful-logos
The table compares the generational recognition differences between Millennials and Baby Boomers of 6 IT companies which feature in the top 200 global corporations, all of which hail from The United States.
You may view it at https://www.graphicsprings.com/most-powerful-logos
The results above are a clear indicator of how brand recognition changes from generation to generation. Dell Technologies, for instance, is recognized by 80% of Baby Boomers, but only 45% of Millennials in America, whereas Apple is universally recognized, no matter the age of the respondents. Additionally, Microsoft is 90-95% recognized by those born from the 1940s to 1985, whereas it drops down to 75-85% for Millennials in US and Europe, suggesting that Apple reigns supreme with the younger generation in these regions. Interestingly, recognition for Microsoft in Asia remains high across all generations.
The table below reveals the top 10 most recognizable companies overall worldwide:
| # | Company | Logo | Country | Market Value (in billion US-$) | US (Average) | EU (Average) | Asia (Average) | Total Average |
| 1 | Coca-Cola | United States | 182.9 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| 2 | Sony | Japan | 40.4 | 100 | 100 | 97.5 | 99.16 | |
| 3 | Ford Motor | United States | 44.7 | 100 | 100 | 97.5 | 99.16 | |
| 4 | Walt Disney | United States | 178 | 100 | 100 | 96.25 | 98.75 | |
| 5 | Apple | United States | 752 | 100 | 100 | 96.25 | 98.75 | |
| 6 | BMW Group | Germany | 57.7 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 98.33 | |
| 7 | PepsiCo | United States | 159.4 | 100 | 98.75 | 96.25 | 98.33 | |
| 8 | Toyota Motor | Japan | 171.9 | 98.75 | 98.75 | 97.5 | 98.33 | |
| 9 | Volkswagen Group | Germany | 72.9 | 97.5 | 100 | 92.5 | 96.66 | |
| 10 | Honda Motor | Japan | 51.4 | 97.5 | 96.25 | 95 | 96.25 |
N.B. The full methodology can be found at the bottom of the press release.
The table below reveals the top 10 most profitable corporations in the world, and their logo recognition. Four are Chinese companies which all have very low recognition scores, even in Asian countries.
| # | Company | Logo | Country | Profits (in billion US-$) | US TOTAL (Average) | EU TOTAL (Average) | Asia Total (Average) | Total Average |
| 1 | Apple | United States | 45.2 | 100 | 100 | 96.25 | 98.75 | |
| 2 | ICBC | China | 42 | 0 | 5 | 21.25 | 8.75 | |
| 3 | China Construction Bank | China | 35 | 0 | 0 | 6.25 | 2.08 | |
| 4 | Agricultural Bank of China | China | 27.8 | 0 | 0 | 6.25 | 2.08 | |
| 5 | Bank of China | China | 24.9 | 0 | 0 | 7.5 | 2.5 | |
| 6 | JPMorgan Chase | United States | 24.2 | 93.75 | 10 | 15 | 39.58 | |
| 7 | Berkshire Hathaway | United States | 24.1 | 50 | 7.5 | 2.5 | 20 | |
| 8 | Wells Fargo | United States | 21.9 | 85 | 1.25 | 0 | 28.75 | |
| 9 | Alphabet | United States | 19.5 | 13.75 | 10 | 1.25 | 8.33 | |
| 10 | Samsung Electronics | South Korea | 19.3 | 88.75 | 91.25 | 98.75 | 92.92 |
N.B. This is a sample of the full results. The full study can be found here: https://www.graphicsprings.com/most-powerful-logos
Of the 10 corporations which 100% of Americans could identify, all were companies from the United States except for German BMW Group and Japanese Sony. Of the 51 corporations that 0% of the American public could identify, 63% were Asian companies hailing from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. In comparison, the only company which received 100% recognition from Asian respondents was Coca-Cola, while 47 corporations were completely unknown. Of this 51 % were American companies, and one Chinese company was completely unrecognizable to Asian respondents.