What makes an Australian brand valuable in 2026?
Australia’s brand landscape is one that is evolving rapidly, shaped by cost-of-living pressures, digital transformation, sustainability, and the globalisation of Australian companies. From banking and retail giants to emerging tech platforms, brands are both gaining value and facing increasing scrutiny from consumers.
The combined value of Australia’s top 40 brands, according to The Kantar BrandZ Top 40 Most Valuable Australian Brands Report, is worth US$156 billion in 2025 (up 25% since 2023). Just 18% of brand value from the top 40 brands comes from international markets, indicating strong domestic reliance.
- Comonwealth Bank (Banking) – $31B
- Canva (Technology) – $14B
- ANZ (Banking) – $11B
- Woolworths (Retail) – $11 – 12B
- Telstra (Telecommunications) – $10B+
For Australian consumers, brand strength isn’t just about marketing — it’s about trust, everyday usefulness, and value for money. Which is similarly reflected worldwide through the Edelman Trust Barometer 2025.
It outlines that brands increasingly act as trusted institutions in society, with 80% of people trusting the brands they use, at a higher level than they trust government, media, or employers.
The study also reveals that:
- 81% of consumers need to trust a brand before considering a purchase
- 90% of consumers buy from brands they trust, while 87% will pay more for products from trusted brands
- 62% of consumers will pay more for nearly identical products from a trusted brand
- 53% of customers recommend brands they trust to others
In Australia, A Roy Morgan study from the end of 2025 revealed that our top three trusted brands are Bunnings Warehouse (Retail), ALDI (Supermarket) and Kmart (Retail). On the other side of the coin, our top three most distrusted brands include one of our top valued brands, Woolworths (Supermarket), Coles (Supermarket) and META (Technology).
Square Holes has partnered with Brand SA on and off over the last decade, providing insights around consumer attitudes, behaviours and pressures.
Kristen Eckhardt, Associate Director, Brand SA confirms that South Australian consumers are looking for authentic brand voices in amongst turbulent geopolitical times.
“One of the most significant shifts shaping place branding is an increasingly polarised geopolitical environment. In this context, credibility and values matter more than ever. Unlike traditional product branding, a place brand must reflect the lived identity of its people and present a unifying, authentic narrative that resonates with both local and global audiences,” says Eckhardt.
“We are responding by grounding the State Brand in distinctly South Australian values and characteristics. Extensive research, including interviews, focus groups, online submissions and workshops, has shaped a voice that reflects our community and clearly articulates why South Australia is the best place to invest, live, trade and study.”
Wine Australia apporached Square Holes in 2025 to work on a couple of projects, seeking to understand changing consumer behaviours and rituals around the consumption of wine in the country.
Paul Turale, General Manager, Market Development, Wine Australia, says the organisation’s remit is to work with the sector to increase the demand and premium paid for all Australian wine. In recent years, that role has become increasingly vital.
“Globally, the wine sector has been significantly impacted over the past decade, with demand (volume) softening as an increasing number of consumers in many established markets becoming part of a broader cultural movement toward mindful consumption. Interestingly, while global volume has declined, we can see steady growth at more premium price points, suggesting that consumers are preferencing quality over quantity,” says Turale.
Turale attributes these changes to increased focus on health post COVID-19, increasing competition from new categories like functional drinks, changing social norms, and geo-political uncertainty impacting consumer confidence.
In response to these pressure points for the industry, Turale says that Wine Australia uses market research and consumer insights in order to remain agile.
“At Wine Australia, we are fortunate to have a team dedicated to market and consumer insights and draw data from many sources and 3rd party partners globally. We also supplement this with bespoke research that could target country, channel (such as our recent on-premise study delivered by Square Holes), and/or emerging opportunity (such as a mid-strength wine) that is aligned to consumer and market evolution.”
“Our primary aim is to uncover and leverage key insights to build knowledge and capability across the Australian wine sector, ensuring that Australian wine is on the consideration list when people are choosing to consume alcohol and ideally be their preference,” says Turale.
