There are various brands that we have been using for years but the actual story behind the brand is not known by everyone. Each brand carries a different story, and their stories are inspiring but people rarely think about their origin. Inspiring stories of the brand give new business ideas to the upcoming generations. Here are the top 10 legendary brands and their greatest hits, who not only survived from all up and down but also registered their name into the annals of the global industry:
Top 10 Legendary Brands
1. Nike – by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight
Bowerman and Phil Knight founded Nike on 25th January 1964 as a Blue Ribbon sports company. On 30th May 1971, the current name Nike was given to the company which later became a world-famous brand for footwear and apparel corporation. The headquarters of Nike is near Beaverton, Oregon, United States. In today’s world Nike is the king of sportswear, sports equipment, and athletic shoes. The brand supplies athletes with shoes and sports equipment all around the world. Nike made a revenue of US$46 billion in 2022. The inspiration for the current name Nike, came from the Greek goddess of victory. Nike has become one of the legendary brands in the sports industry.
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2. Google – by Larry Page and Sergey Brin
Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google on 4th September 1998, when they were pursuing their PhD at Stand for University in California. It is an American multinational company that focuses on search engine technology, computer software, e-commerce, online advertising, consumer electronics, Quantum computing, Artificial intelligence, and cloud computing. Google is one of the best companies in terms of data collection, market dominance, and in the field of AI. The company got its name from the mathematical term “googol” representing the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. The purpose of Larry Page and Surgery Brain to give the company this name was their mission to organize huge amounts of details and information available on the internet through Google. Google is one of the biggest search engines and is used globally.
3. Coca-Cola – by John Stith Pemberton
John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886, Pemberton sold the soft drink company to Asa Griggs Candler in 1888 for $550, who was the businessman and because of his marketing tactics, Coca-Cola is dominating the soft drink market. The name Coca-Cola came from the very original ingredients of the soft drink, the coca leaves and kola nuts. However, the formation of Coca-Cola is a legendary brands, more than 1.8 billion company Bridges are used by consumers each day. The company sells its products to more than 200 countries and in 2024 Coca-Cola was ranked 94 number at the Fortune 500 list of largest United States corporations by revenue.
4. Apple – by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. The headquarters of the multinational company is in the Silicon Valley, Cupertino, California. After 12 days after the start of the company, Ronald Wayne left the company and sold his 10% of shares for a $800 additional payout of $1500. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak incorporated the company as Apple Computer. Apple had incredible success with its iPods. A journey that started from the garage to one of the most valuable companies worldwide is inspiring.
5. McDonald – by Richard and Maurice McDonald
McDonald’s was founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1940 in San Bernardino California, United States. This is the fastest food chain company which was rebranded in 1948 as simply McDonald’s, and the company was shifted to a simple menu of shakes, burgers, and fries. Later Ray Kroc bought the franchise rights of the company and transformed McDonald’s into an iconic food brand. In 1971 Kroc changed McDonald’s logo and trademarked McDonald’s name to what it is today.
6. Amazon – by Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, which was earlier just an online book store. The name was chosen by Jeff Bezos as it represents something vast and exotic. The largest Amazon river is also the inspiration of the name, symbolizing the founders ‘ ambition to make the company one of the largest online retailer companies. Some of the other names were also shortly listed by the founder: Relentless and Cadabra.
7. Microsoft – by Bill Gates and Paul Allen
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975. The name is a combination of microcomputer and software. The main focus of the company was to develop software for personal computers. The first major deal was signed by Microsoft in 1980 with IBM for computing operating systems. Bill Gates became the youngest billionaire in the world as they signed this deal with 50000 dollars.
8. Disney by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney
Walt Disney and Roy Disney stabilized Disney in 1923, initially the company was started as Disney Brothers cartoon studio which later in 1926 changed to Walt Disney Studio. As Walt Disney was the real mastermind behind the company the name was changed to his name. Later the name was changed to the Walt Disney Company to signify that the company also deals in theme parks, television, and global entertainment. In 1937 the first animated film was released under the Walt Disney Company named Snow White and the seven dwarfs.
9. Toyota by Kiichiro Toyoda
Kiichiro Toyoda founded Toyota in 1937, the company was named under his founder’s name. Earlier Toyota started as Toyoda Automatic Loom Works.
10. Sony by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita
Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita stabilized Sony in 1946 as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. The company was rebranded as Sony in 1958 which came from the Latin word Sonus. The PlayStation which was released by Sony in 1994 created huge buzz in the gaming industry.
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Conclusion
These legendary brands from around the world are the top priority of today’s generation. Every brand has its unique story and the legacy they are carrying from the years is exceptional.
