The latest edition of Kantar’s Brand Footprint report shows that there are 17 global FMCG brands that are chosen by consumers more than one billion times a year, with Coca-Cola leading the way.
The Brand Footprint rankings measure which brands are being bought by the most consumers the most often. At a global level, Coca-Cola is the world’s most chosen brand, picked from shelves 5.9bn times in a year. Colgate and Maggi both kept their podium positions, being also the world’s most chosen personal care and food brands.
Colgate continues being the only brand chosen by more than half of the global population – being present in six out of 10 (60.5%) households globally, while Maggi continued its strong performance seeing how consumers choice raised up to 7% and cementing its spot as the 3rd most chosen brand in the world.
Vim was the fastest-growing Top 50 global brand – with 10% growth in consumers’ choice, seeing it rise seven places up the rankings and entering the ‘billionaire club’ in the 16th position of the global ranking. Ferrero’s Kinder also climbed seven steps up the rank winning 18.5 million households in one year.
Brooke Bond, Dettol and Doritos were the other brands which make up the Top 5 largest global penetration gains and in turn saw an increase in their 2018 global rank.
The study also shows that local brands grew in 2018, taking 64.8% of all brand consumer choices, versus global brands’ 35.2% share, a gain of 0.3% share which is a slowdown compared to the 0.5% gain in 2017. The biggest achievement for local brands was in the Health & Beauty category where they managed to raise by 0.7% the number of times consumers chose them.
Although local brands winning share continues, global manufacturers such as Unilever have shown how to win at a local level too by adapting their products to local markets’ needs with brands such as Wheel and Surf Excel, in the homecare sector, and Clinic Plus in the beauty & personal care sector.
Brand Footprint reveals that for global brands, it is imperative to win in their biggest market – of the Top 50 brands that grew in their number 1 market, 82% grew overall and, of those that didn’t grow in their number 1 market, 91% declined.
Josep Montserrat, CEO Worldpanel Division, Kantar, explained: “Global FMCG brands have great opportunities to grow by considering local markets specificities and by adapting their offer to local consumers’ choices, preferences and purchasing behaviour. Those brands who can respond to challenge with agility will continue achieving growth.”
The 17 billionaire brands in the global FMCG brands ranking
| Rank | Brand | Households buying at least once (penetration) |
Choices by consumer (frequency) | Purchase acts (consumer reach points m) |
| 1 | Coca-Cola | 41.9% | 12.3 | 5965 |
| 2 | Colgate | 60.5% | 5.5 | 3872 |
| 3 | Maggi | 31.2% | 7.5 | 2698 |
| 4 | Lifebuoy | 26.3% | 7.5 | 2297 |
| 5 | Lay’s | 29.6% | 6.6 | 2247 |
| 6 | Pepsi | 22.7% | 7.6 | 2001 |
| 7 | Nescafé | 22.7% | 7.5 | 1958 |
| 8 | Dove | 37.1% | 4.3 | 1833 |
| 9 | Sunsilk/Sedal/Seda | 23.5% | 6.7 | 1821 |
| 10 | Indomie | 4.7% | 33.1 | 1782 |
| 11 | Knorr | 27.4% | 5.5 | 1757 |
| 12 | Lux | 30.4% | 4.1 | 1428 |
| 13 | Sunlight | 11.3% | 10.3 | 1355 |
| 14 | Downy | 13.7% | 8.3 | 1316 |
| 15 | Nestlé | 25.0% | 4.5 | 1299 |
| 16 | Vim | 16.7% | 5.4 | 1041 |
| 17 | Sprite | 24.8% | 3.6 | 1037 |
Source: Kantar’s Brand Footprint report
Global and local brands market share
| 2017 | 2018 | ||||
| Global brands | Local brands | Global brands | Local brands | ||
| Total FMCG | 35.5% | 64.5% | 35.2% | 64.8% | |
| Food | 28.0% | 72.0% | 27.7% | 72.3% | |
| Drinks | 39.5% | 60.5% | 39.5% | 60.5% | |
| Dairy | 19.8% | 80.2% | 19.4% | 80.6% | |
| Beauty and Personal Care | 61.4% | 38.6% | 60.7% | 39.3% | |
| Homecare | 47.4% | 52.6% | 47.3% | 52.7% | |
Source: Kantar’s Brand Footprint report
