Cruises, cars and rum: Brands look good

Car rental giant Hertz, with a temporary corporate headquarters in Naples, has taken some hits in the financial press for its underperforming stock and leadership struggles.

But the company's brand is on the rise, at least according to data and anecdotal evidence gathered by Brand Finance, a London-based brand valuation and consulting firm. The brand value of Hertz, says the company, is $2.1 billion in 2015, up from $1.9 billion in 2014.

Hertz, with a headquarters facility under construction in Estero, is one of 16 Florida companies to make the 2015 Brand Finance U.S. 500. The total value of Florida brands in the top 500 is $32 billion, up 2% from 2014, according to a Brand Finance report. Tourism, retail and logistics sectors accounted for 52% of the total brand value in the state.