For the First Time Since 2001, Nintendo Fails to Reach Interbrand's Top Global Brands

Nintendo, what in the world is going on with you? I hope you're not falling far, but according to a recent Top 100 Global Brands list, you just might.

Interbrand, a brand consultancy company, posted its annual report titled "Best Global Brands," and for the first year since 2001--the year Interbrand began these ranking--Nintendo hasn't appeared. Unsurprisingly, Apple made first place, whereas Google second, but in the gaming world, Microsoft made fourth, and Sony 58th, but hey, at least Sony made the list.

There is a good reason why Nintendo hasn't made the list, and it's a reason that is rather expected. According to Interbrand Japan's CEO, Yuki Wada, explained to Japan Times that Nintendo just didn't adapt its business to the changes of consumer life.

Meaning, no mobile games and services yet. Nintendo's stubborn act of not diving into mobile development hasn't been until recently, but sadly, it's a little too late for this year. Fortunately, Nintendo has earned its start into the next year by releasing a mobile port of the 3DS title Pokemon Shuffle, but we should be looking forward to a Nintendo title unique to the mobile phone sometime before the end of this year.

According to Interbrand's methodology page, the companies are rated utilizing a variety of factors such as:

Financial performance, including overall financial return to an organization's investors, or its "economic profit." 

The role the brand measures the portion of purchase decision based on the brand (i.e. Apple able to captivate consumers just by being Apple).

The brand strength, or the measure of a brand's ability to create customer loyalty. This also measures the ability a brand has to issue and command pricing (i.e. Apple charging a butt-ton of cash for its products).

Hopefully, Nintendo will be able to move back onto the list in the next year, as it has a chance to adapt to consumer lives. I think personally they can maintain the Nintendo name and what it stands for even as they pursue the mobile market. But for now, the company is changing rapidly, adapting and expanding. For instance, the company's lending the brand to Universal Theme Parks and to the movie/TV screens. Well, here's to Nintendo's future!