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Amazon, Apple emerge as most valuable global brands 2021: Kantar
New Delhi: Multinational giant Amazon consolidated its position as the world’s most valuable brand, growing 64 per cent to $ 684 billion, Kantar said in its latest BrandZTM Most Valuable Global Brands 2021 ranking released on Monday.
Amazon’s brand value grew by almost $268 billion this year and it became the first half-a-trillion-dollar brand, alongside Apple, at number two, valued at $612bn. The other brands that figured in the top ten most valuable global brands in 2021 were: Google, Microsoft, Tencent, Facebook, Alibaba, Visa, McDonald’s, and MasterCard.
China’s TikTok and USA’s Tesla are among the brands that doubled their brand values during the pandemic. Tesla even emerged as the fastest growing brand and became the most valuable car brand, growing its value by 275 per cent year-on-year to $ 42.6 billion, said the report.
Tech brands dominate global rankings
Seven of the top ten brands are from the tech sector. Tech has also enabled non-tech brands to achieve significant growth, for example Gucci – harnessing the power of TikTok during the pandemic, and Domino’s – leveraging online and delivery services. New entrant Zoom was one of the big tech stories of 2021, with its ease of use and reliability driving momentum with business and personal users. It entered the ranking at 52 with a valuation of $36.9bn.
World’s most valuable brands show record growth
Despite the economic downturn brought by the devastating wave of Covid-19, the report found that the world’s most valuable brands experienced record growth. Their total worth reached $7.1 trillion – equivalent to the combined GDP of France and Germany. This was largely driven by confidence derived from vaccine availability, economic stimulus packages, and improving GDP outlooks, said Kantar Group.
“Despite many facing a difficult year, our research has again proven that strong brands deliver superior shareholder returns, are more resilient, and recover more quickly,” said Kantar CMO, Nathalie Burdet. “With global e-commerce growing from 12 per cent to 15 per cent of all sales in 2020, it has been a positive year for brands involved in that value chain.”
Apparel brands overtake M&E brands
Despite reduced travel and lockdowns globally, apparel brands have collectively grown even more than media and entertainment brands in the ranking, as people redefined the boundaries between work and leisurewear. Adidas, Nike, and Puma all secured over 50 per cent value growth. Whilst, collectively, fast fashion did not grow as fast, notably, Uniqlo (+88 per cent) and H&M (+47 per cent) grew valuations significantly. The Top 20 retailers grew their brand value by a combined 48 per cent.
Success of subscription-based models
Microsoft innovated offers to adapt to new working environments and transitioned to subscription models to improve convenience and scalability, recording a growth of 26 per cent. Xbox (+55 per cent), Disney (+13 per cent), and Netflix (+55 per cent) all saw growth, while Spotify entered the ranking following a 454 per cent growth in subscribers from 2015-20 and a significant improvement in consumer brand equity.
Reputation: A Key factor
According to the report, reputation, especially for sustainable and ethical purposes, is increasingly a driver for brand growth. The luxury category saw 34 per cent brand growth with, predominantly, French and Italian luxury companies such as LVMH investing in their corporate reputation through pandemic-related initiatives, sustainable transformation, and support for social movements such as BLM. Similarly, L’Oréal Paris successfully bucked the trend across beauty brands in the pandemic, securing brand growth by flexing its assets and driving female empowerment.
Emphasis on Trust and Reliability
“Our analytics have uncovered that 70 per cent of what makes a brand successful is executing four fundamentals well: providing superior experience across consistently branded touchpoints, a range of well-designed and functional products and services, convenience, and exposure through great advertising. However, COVID-19 has emphasised consumer values such as trust and reliability. Those brands that are evolving their values, projecting leadership on these issues are demonstrating differentiation and standing out,” said Burdet.
When you buy a health insurance policy, you usually focus on hospital bills and treatment costs. But serious illnesses don’t just affect your medical expenses: they disrupt your income, lifestyle and long-term plans. That’s where a Critical Illness Rider becomes relevant. It works as an additional layer of financial protection when you are diagnosed with a major illness.
Instead of reimbursing hospital bills, this rider offers a lump-sum payout you can use as needed. Understanding its mechanism helps you decide if your coverage is truly complete.
What is a Critical Illness Rider?
It is an add-on benefit attached to your existing health insurance policy. It provides a fixed lump sum amount if you are diagnosed with any illness listed under the rider. You become eligible for a payout solely on the basis of diagnosis, not by hospitalisation or treatment expenses.
Unlike regular coverage, you are not required to submit medical bills to claim this benefit. Once the diagnosed illness meets the policy definition and criteria, the insurer releases the amount. This makes it different from standard critical health insurance plans, which are standalone policies rather than add-ons.
How a Critical Illness Rider Works
When you opt for this rider, you choose a predefined sum assured. If you are diagnosed with a covered illness, the insurer pays the full amount in one lump sum. The payout can be used for treatment, recovery, income replacement, debt repayment, or even lifestyle adjustments.
Most riders specify a waiting period and a survival period. The waiting period means the illness must be diagnosed after a certain number of days from the policy start date. The survival period requires you to survive for a specific number of days after diagnosis for the claim to be valid.
Key Features of a Critical Illness Rider
Here are some of the key features of a critical illness rider:
Lump Sum Benefit
The most important feature is the lump sum payout. You are not restricted to medical usage. This flexibility allows you to handle non-medical costs that often arise during long-term illness.
Coverage for Major Illnesses
Critical Illness Riders usually cover life-altering conditions such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and major organ transplants. The exact list varies across insurers, so reviewing covered conditions is essential.
One-Time Claim Structure
In most cases, once a claim is paid, the rider terminates. This is because it is designed to address high-impact illnesses rather than recurring medical needs.
Affordable Premium
Since it is an add-on, the premium is lower than that of standalone critical health insurance plans. This makes it a cost-effective way to enhance your existing health insurance policy.
No Hospitalisation Requirement
You don’t need to be hospitalised to receive the benefit. Diagnosis alone is enough to avail the benefits. But ensure that all the policy conditions are met.
Income Protection Support
During critical illness, loss of income can be more damaging than medical bills. The rider helps bridge this gap by offering financial stability when you need it most.
Who Should Consider a Critical Illness Rider
If you have dependents, loans or limited savings, this rider adds meaningful protection. It is also relevant if your employer-provided health insurance policy focuses mainly on hospitalisation and lacks income replacement support.
Conclusion
A Critical Illness rider strengthens your health insurance policy by covering financial gaps that regular medical coverage often ignores. It gives you control, flexibility and immediate support during serious health events. Before choosing one, review the list of covered illnesses, waiting periods and claim conditions carefully. When structured correctly, this rider can protect not just your health expenses but also your financial stability during challenging times.
