Disney Is the 9th Most Popular Brand in the World — So Who BEAT Them?

There is no denying that Disney is a household name around the world.

Magic Kingdom

Over the last 100 years, the Disney Company has built a brand that has had its highs and lows. Disney has created memorable theme parks, produced beloved movies and so much more. So in 2022, how did it compare to other global brands?

Interbrand recently released the Best Global Brands of 2022. Disney was ranked number 9 in the world so let’s take a look at who beat them out.

Apple
Microsoft
Amazon
Google
Samsung
Coca-Cola
Toyota
Mercedes

Coca-Cola

Some of these brands we have seen the Disney Company work with like Coca-Cola and Amazon.

What Affected the Brand in 2022

2022 was a wild ride for the Disney company.

Movies Strange World, Amsterdam, and Lightyear all underperformed at the Box Office.

A wave of price increases at Disney World on everything from snacks to fountain drinks to hotel rates to tickets led to consumer complains, while parks were flooded with travelers who had put off vacations during the pandemic.

As a controversial Florida law wound its way through the state Legislature, Disney initially stayed silent on the issue, angering LGBTQ+ advocates and a substantial amount of its employees. Then Disney reversed course and spoke out against the legislation, angering the law’s proponents — most notably Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The situation has since led to a government takeover of the board that controls Disney’s Special District in Florida, and lawsuits on both sides.

In November, Disney CEO Bob Chapek was fired, and his predecessor, Bob Iger, returned.

In December, there were more price increases, as Disney moved to surge pricing for its paid skip-the-line service, Genie+, and rolled out a price increase for its streaming service, Disney+.

©Disney

The legal and political battle between The Walt Disney Company and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is consuming news cycles in 2023. But, Disney does seem intent on reviving is brand reputation.

In January, Disney acknowledged that some price increases were alienating to Disney fans, and rolled back parking fees for Disney World hotel guests, changed park hopping rules at Disneyland, and added photo benefis for those who buy Genie+.

We have recently seen more changes Disney says will make things easier for guests — including the removal of park pass requirements for many Disney World visitors in 2024, and changes to Park Pass requirements for Annual Passholders who want to visit the parks after 2PM.

Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 is off to a good start at the box office, and the live-action The Little Mermaid is expected to perform well when it is released on May 26th.