By TIME Staff November 21, 2024 7:37 AM EST Methodology: How TIME and Statista Determined the World’s Best Brands of 2024 Brands are mysterious things. Created by companies looking to promote specific products or services, they’re ultimately defined—for better or worse—by consumer perceptions. They also play starring roles in our preferences and spending behavior as companies respond to, and shape, market trends.  Consider Bath & Body Works. Long focused on women, the retailer snagged the top