Dive Brief:

• The emissions scandal that has rocked Volkswagen is also causing damage to Germany’s national brand, according to a report from consulting firm Brand Finance.
• Germany, which was previously the strongest national brand in the world, has been replaced in top spot by Singapore and is no longer even in the report's top 10 of national brands. 
• The report bases its rankings on measuring "brand strength," a score that takes into account "the country’s investments, societal well-being and its goods and services," according to Ad Age. 

Dive Insight:

The emissions scandal has hit Volkswagen hard, with the brand losing an estimated $10 billion in brand value after the scale of the scandal became clear. The car company has already lost its CEO and several board members in the aftermath. Now, there are indications that the scandal's ripple effect could extend to other German brands, particularly fellow auto-makers.

“German industry is lauded for its efficiency and reliability while Germans as a whole are seen as hard-working, honest and law abiding," Brand Finance CEO David Haigh said in a statement. "That such an iconic German brand, the ‘people’s car,’ could behave in this way is beginning to undo decades of accumulated goodwill and cast aspersions over the practices of German industry.”