As oil & gas brands negotiate the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s top 50 most valuable oil & gas brands have lost 16% of brand value on average.
Oil & gas brands play a significant role in the global economy, both for fuelling lives today and determining the nature of energy in the future. For national oil companies (NOCs), economic contribution to national wealth is paramount to their mandate. To ensure this economic contribution is sustainable, NOCs must increasingly venture into new sources of energy for the world after oil.
Integrated international oil companies (IOCs), on the other hand, are guided by the will of their shareholders and by the threat of increased litigation. Particularly in Europe, the rise of ESG investing dictates that IOCs must act fast to retain and attract investors. Increasingly, both NOCs and IOCs are under pressure to reduce carbon footprints, boost sustainability, and move away from traditional oil.
"Global dependence on oil is so ingrained that oil consumption only fell by 25% at the peak of COVID travel restrictions. Oil companies cannot simply hit the off switch; critical processes such as vaccine creation and distribution depend upon oil. But with rising global temperatures, humanity desperately needs a rapid, yet smooth transition to new energy forms. Oil companies are best placed to solve the problem, and to lead the transition to cleaner energy. Big oil brands have the expertise and resources to navigate the energy transition, and the Brand Finance Oil & Gas 50 ranking will reflect the brands which do so" said Savio D'Souza, Valuation Director, Brand Finance.
In Asia, Saudi Aramco has maintained its position as the Asia’s most valuable brand (world's #2 after Shell) with the Brand Finance Global 500 2021 report valuing the Kingdom’s oil giant at $37.5 billion. “Aramco is the hidden giant of the oil industry whose brand has finally emerged into the light of public attention. It has always been known as a b2b (business to business) brand but has aspirations to become a well-known consumer brand,” said David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance.
In Southeast Asia, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) has retained its position as the most valuable ASEAN brand in the Brand Finance Global 500 report for 2021. The Malaysia's oil company said it also remains in the ninth spot among the brand valuation consultancy's listing of global oil and gas (O&G) brands. Petronas' Brand Strength Index has also improved to 87 points from 86.3 in 2020. The index is judged on a brand's performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors.
Brand value refers to the present value of earnings specifically related to brand reputation. Organisations own and control these earnings by owning trademark rights. All brand valuation methodologies are essentially trying to identify this, although the approach and assumptions differ. As a result published brand values can be different. These differences are similar to the way equity analysts provide business valuations that are different to one another. The only way you find out the “real” value is by looking at what people really pay.
Source: BrandFinace "Global 500"
