Overview

Brand Finance has released its annual 2024 Media 50 report, listing the world’s most valuable and strongest media brands. The 2024 ranking reflects significant shifts compared to 2015 when traditional broadcasters like Walt Disney, Fox, and NBC dominated. Nine out of the top ten brands focus on direct-to-consumer narrowcasting through user-generated media platforms. Traditional TV brands have lost value as online streaming and social media become increasingly popular. Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) dropped from the list due to financial challenges and controversies surrounding Elon Musk.

Media Market Size and Growth

Statista’s analysis of the global media market reveals significant growth driven by evolving customer preferences and broader macroeconomic conditions. Key trends highlight consumers’ demand for convenience and personalised content fueled by the widespread use of mobile devices. This has led to the rise of streaming services, on-demand platforms, and the increasing popularity of social media for news and entertainment.

A significant shift is evident in digital media consumption, with traditional media formats like print and physical albums being replaced by digital alternatives. Consumers are turning to streaming services for music and video, and social media has become a dominant source for real-time updates and content sharing.

Local factors, such as government regulations and cultural preferences, also impact media markets across regions. These conditions can present both challenges and opportunities, requiring companies to adapt their strategies accordingly.

Macroeconomic elements, including economic growth, rising disposable incomes, and technological advancements, play a crucial role in media consumption. As infrastructure improves, particularly in terms of high-speed internet access, consumers are more likely to engage with digital platforms, further fueling the global media market’s expansion.

Based on our analysis of the companies listed in Brand Finance’s 2024 Media 50 report, we have identified the following key highlights in naming and domain name usage.

Domain Names Highlights

All the companies on the list operate on Exact Brand Match (EBM) domain names.

EBM domains are essential for ensuring brand consistency, clarity, and ease of access for users, as they provide a direct connection between the brand name and its online presence. These domains enhance trust and credibility, improve user experience by minimising confusion, and contribute to stronger brand recognition globally.

Most of the companies in the list build extensive domain portfolios to strengthen their digital presence, protect their brand, prevent traffic loss from misspellings, and create flexibility for marketing campaigns. Top domains are considered valuable long-term assets due to their unique ability to enhance brand identity. Their exclusivity ensures that no equivalent domain can deliver the same strategic value, offering companies flexibility in their digital strategy and the potential to capitalise on future business opportunities or resale prospects.

Notably, no company uses a hyphen in its domain name, reflecting a preference for simplicity and ease of access in their online branding strategies.

Naming Trends in Media Companies

Descriptive: Companies like Facebook use straightforward names that communicate their purpose or function, making it easy for users to understand what the service offers at a glance. 

Abstract and Inventive: Many media brands opt for creative, non-literal names that are easy to remember but not directly tied to their function. Examples include Google, a play on the word “googol” (a large number), and TikTok, which conveys a sense of time, aligning with short video content without explicitly describing the service.

Blended and Suggestive: Names like Instagram (a blend of “instant” and “telegram”) suggest the experience users can expect, such as instant photo sharing, without being purely descriptive. This naming approach helps create an association with the brand’s core function while remaining engaging and unique.

Personalised: Some companies, such as Disney, use the name of their founder or a key figure, which helps build brand trust and legacy through a personal connection.

Namepicks

Check out our article “How to Name a Unicorn?” for insights on choosing a brand name that can help elevate your startup to unicorn status.

Google

Google remains the world’s most valuable media brand for the fourth consecutive year, with a 19% increase in brand value to $333.4 billion, driven by Alphabet’s strong revenue growth. Despite a slight dip in familiarity, customer recommendation levels and valuations remain high. Google’s brand strength index (BSI) stands at 92.5, earning it a AAA+ rating from Brand Finance.

The name “Google” comes from a fun misspelling of “Googol,” a huge number (1 followed by 100 zeros) chosen to show how much information the search engine could handle. The popular phrase “Google it” has become a part of our everyday language, turning the brand name into something we use without even thinking. Google LLC owns over 302,000 domains, allowing the company to launch new services or products under targeted domains, optimising its marketing efforts and expanding its online reach.

Google’s role in businesses is undeniably significant, offering benefits such as increased visibility, access to vast customer bases, and powerful advertising tools. However, its growing influence also presents challenges, particularly in terms of dependency. Many businesses rely heavily on Google for traffic and customer acquisition, making them vulnerable to algorithm changes or rising ad costs. To overcome this, companies can focus on building direct relationships with customers through strategies like securing Exact Brand Match (EBM) domains, which provide a more controlled and reliable online presence.

Kakao

Kakao Corporation is a South Korean internet conglomerate founded in 2010 and headquartered in Jeju City. It emerged from the merger of Daum Communications and the original Kakao Inc., becoming a powerhouse in various sectors such as social media, entertainment, and financial services. Best known for KakaoTalk, a widely-used messaging app, Kakao has diversified into multiple industries, including mobile payments, gaming, online banking, and transportation.

Kakao has grown to become the fifth-largest business conglomerate in South Korea, with a market cap of approximately $11.3 billion as of October 2024. Its subsidiaries, such as Kakao Entertainment, Kakao Games, and Kakao Mobility, have contributed significantly to its domestic and international influence. The company has also pioneered innovations like Kakao Bank, South Korea’s first internet-only bank, which gained millions of users within its first month. 

Despite its success, Kakao has faced challenges, including a major service outage in 2022 and recent legal troubles involving its founder, Brian Kim. Despite these setbacks, Kakao remains dominant in South Korea’s digital landscape, continuously expanding its global footprint.

According to Whoxy, Kakao Corporation owns approximately 2,000 domains, with over 50 variations containing the word “Kakao”. Owning a wide array of domains allows the company to streamline new service launches and maintain consistency across its digital platforms, further strengthening its global presence.

TikTok

TikTok saw substantial brand value growth in 2024, increasing by 28% to $84.2 billion. In Western markets, TikTok has built a highly effective peer-to-peer marketing engine, enabling users to share content even with non-users. Despite this growth, Brand Finance research indicates a drop in brand recommendations, likely tied to ongoing concerns in Western countries about TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government and data security issues.

Originally launched as three separate apps, TikTok’s journey began with the 2016 launch of Douyin by ByteDance in China. In 2018, ByteDance acquired Musical.ly and merged it into TikTok, rapidly expanding its global presence. The app’s name reflects its core concept—short, snappy videos that encourage creativity within a limited timeframe. While “Douyin” translates to “shaking sound,” the name TikTok was chosen to symbolise the ticking clock and the fast-paced, dynamic content that defines the platform.

TikTok’s success lies in its algorithm, which quickly learns user preferences and surfaces content tailored to individual tastes. The platform’s creative tools and massive song library have inspired viral trends, drawing a young, vibrant audience. TikTok’s growth has also drawn scrutiny, with governments like the U.S. and India raising concerns over data privacy and the app’s potential ties to Chinese authorities. Despite these challenges, TikTok remains one of the most influential platforms for under-25s globally.

TikTok’s Exact Brand Match (EBM) domain, TikTok.com, gives the platform global appeal and ensures easy connectivity for users. TikTok.com enhances credibility, user trust, and accessibility, supporting the company’s growth as a leading social media platform worldwide.

Weixin/WeChat

WeChat, known as Weixin in China (meaning “micro-message”), is a versatile social media, messaging, and mobile payment app developed by Tencent. Launched in 2011, it quickly became a “super-app,” offering features ranging from text and voice messaging to mobile payments and video conferencing. By 2018, it became the world’s largest standalone app, boasting over 1 billion monthly active users, and as of 2022, the number of users had surpassed 1.2 billion.

WeChat’s brand strength, particularly in China, is unrivalled, where it has become an integral part of everyday life for millions. It provides an all-encompassing digital experience, encompassing social media, e-commerce, and payment services. Accounts registered with Chinese numbers operate under the Weixin brand and are subject to stricter regulations, including data sharing with Chinese authorities, while non-Chinese numbers use WeChat, with data stored outside China.

In 2024, WeChat was recognized as the strongest media brand globally, achieving a Brand Strength Index score of 94.3 out of 100 and an AAA+ rating. Despite its immense brand strength, WeChat has faced challenges due to China’s economic slowdown, leading to a 17% drop in brand value to USD 41.8 billion. 

Tencent Holdings Limited manages over 2,200 domains. Brands focused on a robust and consistent presence often register multiple domain names to protect their brand, ensure easy access for clients and investors, and support creative marketing campaigns and sub-brands.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is an instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service that allows users to send messages, make voice and video calls, and share content. 

WhatsApp was founded in February 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, former Yahoo! employees, who wanted to create an app that would display statuses in a phone’s Contacts menu, such as whether someone was at work or on a call. Koum chose the name “WhatsApp” to sound like the casual greeting “what’s up.” The idea came to life with the help of Russian developer Igor Solomennikov, and the company was officially incorporated on February 24, 2009.

In 2014, Facebook acquired the company for  $19.3 billion, and since then, WhatsApp has grown rapidly to become one of the world’s most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users by 2020. In 2024, WhatsApp’s brand value increased by 29% to $10.4 billion, making it the second-fastest growing media brand, following Facebook. The app’s wide usage spans the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent, solidifying its role as a primary means of communication globally.

WhatsApp owns the Exact Brand Match (EBM) domain WhatsApp.com and various extensions such as WhatsApp.travel and WhatsApp.net. This approach helps strengthen the brand’s online presence, protect it from misuse, and provide opportunities for targeted initiatives and global reach.

While we make every effort to ensure the data on our site is accurate, complete, and up-to-date, we cannot guarantee its reliability. Our data is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal, financial, or other advice. We strongly recommend that you independently verify any information before relying on it.

The right domain names are a valuable investment for any brand. If you’re ready to secure the perfect domain name for your business, reach out to us for assistance. We’re here to help you find and acquire the ideal domain for your brand.

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