top 10 most valuable banking brands in the world - Brand Finance

02.
2011 2010
Brand Ranking 2 4
Brand Value (US$) 28,944 21,916
Brand rating AA+ AA
Domicile United States
US$ millions
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
105,067
17%
94,593
108,691
14,277 13,130 14,508
131,225
21,916
136,069
28,944
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
14%
MARKET CAP BRAND VALUE
69%
Retail - Banking
Wholesale - Banking
Wealth Management -
Banking
Top 10 Most
Valuable Banking
Brand Profiles
Wells Fargo has improved its ranking by two places,
moving it in second position behind Bank of America. It
gained an impressive US$ 7 billion in brand value; a 32%
increase from 2010.
The Wells Fargo brand was shielded from the impact of
the banking crisis due to its conservative approach during
the boom period. Its only exposure to the negativity of the
financial crisis came through its ownership of Wachovia
bank. Its solidity and reliability, particularly within the
mortgage market, has helped maintain its brand integrity
through a tumultuous period.
The bank completed over 55 acquisitions in the last
five years and, on 17th December 2010, it became the
largest US bank by Market Cap when it surpassed JP
Morgan. This is a clear reflection of investor confidence
in the firm and its brand. Warren Buffett’s stockholding
in the firm has also helped to add further credibility. The
former CEO, Richard Kovacevic was famously quoted
in referring to the Wells Fargo bank branches, “stores”,
as he envisioned their approach to create a single
destination for people’s banking needs.
Wells Fargo’s strong fourth quarter earnings are
testament to their strength in the retail banking sector.
They reported a 21% rise in income and their strategy to
purchase Wachovia at the height of the financial crisis is
also beginning to provide better returns.
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