Facebook, YouTube and Twitter Confirm Their Dominance

ZURICH, April 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

2013 Ranking of the Strongest Social Network Brands

The department of Social Media Management of HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich, in cooperation with BV4 Certified Brand Valuation Experts, present the 2013 ranking of the most valuable social media brands. The four most valuable brands in 2012 were able to defend their leading positions and increase their brand values: Facebook takes the top of the current ranking with an estimated brand value of $ 34.320 bn, followed by YouTube with a brand value of $ 26.824 bn, and Twitter with $ 23.656 bn. Less well known in the Western world is the Chinese network Qzone which, with a brand value of $ 16.336 bn, is in fourth position. Top winner of this year's ranking is Google+, which gained 14 ranks ($ 5.878 bn). Together, the thirty most valuable brands have a monetary value of nearly $ 200 bn.

Trends positively influenced brand value growth

Actual social media trends had a positive influence on the strength and value development of the analyzed brands, fueling a growth of 59% compared to the top 30 brands in 2012: on one hand, the most successful social media brands such as Facebook and Twitter were able to further develop their dominance with regard to their financial brand values. On the other hand, Chinese social media brands expanded their strength and value thanks to the impressive Chinese Internet usage statistics that are characterized by a rapidly increasing number of Internet users and an intensive daily use of social media networks. Furthermore, the new brand arrivals Instagram ($ 2.101 bn, position 22) and Pinterest ($ 1.987 bn, position 24) clearly benefitted from users' augmenting need to share pictures among their digital peers. Finally, the trend of increasingly using mobile devices rather than PCs to access social media platforms is an additional factor that positively influenced the strength and value development of the most valuable social media brands in 2013.

The growing importance of social media brands

Brands are important intangible value drivers for consumer goods and service companies. Compared to corporate values, intangible values like brands are continually increasing. This is also true for social network brands, which have spread rapidly throughout the world and were able to continue on this path to success. Some of the important value drivers of social media brands are global awareness, growing user numbers, omnipresence in the day-to-day life of consumers, as well as facilitation of simple and efficient communication.

The detailed report "The Most Valuable Social Media Brands 2013" can be obtained free of charge at http://www.fh-hwz.ch/fsmm and http://www.bv4.ch. Follow the hashtag #socialbrands13

Additional information:

• HWZ Department of Social Media Management: http://www.fh-hwz.ch/fsmm
• BV4 AG, Zurich: http://www.bv4.ch

The HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich is a member of the Universities of Applied Sciences of Zurich. It was founded in 1986 as part-time HWV Zurich by KV Switzerland and the Juventus Schools Foundation of Zurich. With more than 1,500 students and approximately 400 lecturers, the HWZ is now the largest part-time University for economics in Switzerland, exclusively offering extra occupational courses. The HWZ offers a unique range of courses in the economic fields of Business Administration, Business Information Technology and Communications, at the Bachelor and Master levels, as well as the possibility for doctoral studies.

In the further education sector, certificate and diploma courses are offered. The modern university building is adjacent to the main railway station in the heart of Zurich. Find more information at http://www.fh-hwz.ch, http://www.facebook.com/fhhwz or http://www.twitter.com/fhhwz

As a future oriented educational institute, the HWZ runs the first Department of Social Media Management in Switzerland. This department addresses the massive structural change in the communications industry and enables the optimal knowledge transfer in corporations, associations, and administrations. It realizes customized courses and workshops with companies, associations, and administrations and participates in research projects and further education events. Thus the knowledge created through the certificate course CAS Social Media Management can be made more widely available. Find more information at http://www.fh-hwz.ch/fsmm

As an independent certified brand valuation company, BV4 calculates the financial value of brands and other intangible assets using both scientifically founded and standardized methods. BV4 also develops sector and client-specific brand management models. Thereby, BV4 combines the expertise and knowledge of finance specialists as well as brand experts and marketing professionals. Find more information at http://www.bv4.ch

Contacts:

Manuel P. Nappo
Head of the Department of Social Media Management
Phone: +41-79-358-04-05
[email protected]
http://www.twitter.com/manuelnappo

Arrigo Cimarosti
Study Director of "The Most Valuable Social Media Brands 2013"
Phone: +41-44-201-16-58
[email protected]

SOURCE HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich

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