The future likes Boeing and AbbVie [though it likes Google best]

The world admires Chicago’s planes, burgers and arthritis drugs.

That’s according to the FutureBrand Index, a ranking of 100 global companies’ brand strength.

To create the list, consultancy FutureBrand surveyed 3,030 people in 17 countries.

Mountain View, California-based Google Inc. was No. 1 on the index, followed in order by Microsoft, Disney, Apple and Samsung. Among the top 20: Chicago aerospace giant Boeing (No. 12, just behind Facebook) and AbbVie of North Chicago (No. 20), which makes rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira.

Also making the list is No. 51 Oak Brook-based McDonald’s.

The takeaway: A “future brand” is a brand that’s more likely to succeed in the future. The best brands, the report says, perfectly balance perceptions of purpose and experience.

Foremost among the findings is that financial performance doesn’t necessarily correlate with a company’s brand strength. FutureBrand cites the example of Exxon Mobil, No. 2 in market cap but No. 89 on the list.

Here’s a link to the full report.

h/t Fast Company