Top 50 cosmetic brands valued at $106.2 bn

THOUSANDS of dollars raised by the #NoMakeupSelfie trend pale in comparison to the total brand value of the World’s top 50 cosmetics brands is up from $101.5 billion in 2013 to $106.2 billion this year, said brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance said Tuesday.

For Brand Finance Cosmetics 50, an annual study conducted by brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance, the world’s biggest cosmetics brands are put to the test and evaluated to determine which are the most powerful and most valuable. 

American and French brands dominate the list, together accounting for over two thirds of the total brand value. Germany’s most valuable brand is Nivea, which has a brand value of $6.1bn, putting it 4th worldwide. 5th on the list is Dove ($5.9bn), the UK’s top Cosmetics brand. Japan’s Shiseido ($2.5bn), Brazil’s Natura ($2.5bn) and South Korea’s Sulwhasoo ($439m) also make the list.

L’Oreal’s brand power L’Oreal tops the list as the world’s only $10 billion cosmetics brand. Its value is up 24%, growing from $8.7bn last year to $10.8bn in 2014. The French company’s growing brand value is in line with its strong business performance, as enterprise value was up from $26.2bn to $37.6bn. 

“The key to L’Oreal’s success is its unrivalled marketing focus and investment. Its marketing graduates, drawn from the world’s top universities, are well trained and well resourced,” said
Brand Finance chief executive David Haigh.

“With the perfectly constructed and enduring ‘you’re worth it’ slogan, L’Oreal has pulled off the trick of simultaneously capturing the mass market while maintaining an air of exclusivity.” 

L’Oreal is the only cosmetics brand, and one of only 11 brands from any sector (including Google, Ferrari, Rolex and Hermes) to have been awarded AAA+ brand rating. The brand rating is a benchmark of the strength and future potential of the brand, confirming L’Oreal’s brand power.

Avon’s remarkable recovery Second on the list is America’s most valuable cosmetics brand Avon, which has staged a remarkable recovery. A drop in sales and bribery allegations in China had seen brand value fall 35% between 2012 and 2013. However CEO Sheri McCoy’s robust approach, creating $400m savings at the expense of 1,500 staff, has seen the beginnings of a turnaround. Brand value is up 24% to $6.84 billion while the brand has been strengthened, and has been upgraded by Brand Finance from AA to AA+.
Cover Girl is the highest new entry, with a brand value of $1.24bn. Recent celebrity endorsements include Katy Perry, P!nk and Janelle Monae. The Capitol Collection, a recent tie in with the film ‘The Hunger