Google joins world's top 10 brands as Microsoft slips

LONDON - Google has joined the top ten most valuable global brands in Interbrand's annual survey for the first time, with Coca Cola remaining top as Microsoft slips to third place.

The internet giant was the biggest riser on the branding consultancy's annual chart, up from 20 to 10, despite concerns about privacy testing and its 'Don't be evil' corporate motto.

The company's brand value leapt from $17.8bn (£9.7bn) to $25.59bn, mirroring an upward trend among new media and technology companies in the survey. Apple, Amazon and Nintendo were also among the year's top gainers.

Although the research was conducted before this week's banking crisis in the 12 months to June 30, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Citi were among the companies that have slipped dramatically down the list.

Coca-Cola, which recently announced plans to cut marketing costs, remains the number one brand for the eighth year in a row, while IBM replaced Microsoft in second, with Bill Gates' software company slipping to third place.

Companies which have promoted their green credentials in their advertising also fared well in the survey, with Toyota, Honda and Shell all rising in the rankings.

Clothing retailer Gap was the second-biggest faller in the survey, down to 77, while its rival Zara, recently named the world's biggest clothing company, climbed to 62.

Jez Frampton, chief executive of Interbrand, said: "The 100 Best Global Brands are a reflection of the global economy - the current credit crisis in the US, the growth of emerging markets and the increased emphasis on sustainability are all key trends that resulted in brands rising or failing on the list.

"The increasing complexities of the global economy reinforce the importance of protecting and growing a brand. It is a company's most valuable asset - and a far less volatile asset than others during a time of economic uncertainty."

Interbrand arrives at its brand values by calculating how much a brand is likely to earn for the company in the future. It uses a combination of analysts' projections, company financial documents, and its own qualitative and quantitative analysis to arrive at a net present value of those earnings.

Rank, Brand, Value ($m), Percent Change, Country of Ownership

  1. Coca-Cola 66,667 2% US
  2. IBM 59,031 3% US
  3. Microsoft 59,007 1% US
  4. GE 53,086 3% US
  5. Nokia 35,942 7% Finland
  6. Toyota 34,050 6% Japan
  7. Intel 31,261 1% US
  8. McDonald's 31,049 6% US
  9. Disney 29,251 0% US
  10. Google 25,590 43% US
  11. Mercedes 25,577 9% Germany
  12. Hewlett-Packard 23,509 6% US
  13. BMW 23,298 8% Germany
  14. Gillette 22,069 8% US
  15. American Express 21,940 5% US
  16. Louis Vuitton 21,602 6% France
  17. Cisco 21,306 12% US
  18. Marlboro 21,300 0% US
  19. Citi 20,174 -14% US
  20. Honda 19,079 6% Japan
  21. Samsung 17,689 5% S. Korea
  22. H&M 13,840 N/A Sweden
  23. Oracle 13,831 11% US
  24. Apple 13,724 24% US
  25. Sony 13,583 5% Japan
  26. Pepsi 13,249 3% US
  27. HSBC 13,143 -3% UK
  28. Nescafe 13,055 1% Switzerland
  29. Nike 12,672 6% US
  30. UPS 12,621 5% US
  31. SAP 12,228 13% Germany
  32. Dell 11,695 1% US
  33. Budweiser 11,438 -2% US
  34. Merrill Lynch 11,399 -21% US
  35. Ikea 10,913 8% Sweden
  36. Canon 10,876 3% Japan
  37. J.P. Morgan 10,773 -6% US
  38. Goldman Sachs 10,331 -3% US
  39. Kellogg's 9,710 4% US
  40. Nintendo 8,772 13% Japan
  41. UBS 8,740 -11% Switzerland
  42. Morgan Stanley 8,696 -16% US
  43. Philips 8,325 8% Netherlands
  44. Thomson Reuters 8,313 N/A Canada
  45. Gucci 8,254 7% Italy
  46. eBay 7,991 7% US
  47. Accenture 7,948 9% US
  48. Siemens 7,943 3% Germany
  49. Ford 7,896 -12% US
  50. Harley-Davidson 7,609 -1% US
  51. L'Oreal 7,508 7% France
  52. MTV 7,193 4% US
  53. Volkswagen 7,047 8% Germany
  54. AIG 7,022 -6% US
  55. AXA 7,001 -4% France
  56. Heinz 6,646 2% US
  57. Colgate 6,437 7% US
  58. Amazon.com 6,434 19% US
  59. Xerox 6,393 6% US
  60. Chanel 6,355 9% France
  61. Wrigley's 6,105 6% US
  62. Zara 5,955 15% Spain
  63. Nestle 5,592 5% Switzerland
  64. KFC 5,582 -2% US
  65. Yahoo! 5,496 -9% US
  66. Danone 5,408 8% France
  67. Audi 5,407 11% Germany
  68. Caterpillar 5,288 5% US
  69. Avon 5,264 3% US
  70. Adidas 5,072 6% Germany
  71. Rolex 4,956 8% Switzerland
  72. Hyundai 4,846 9% S. Korea
  73. BlackBerry 4,802 N/A Canada
  74. Kleenex 4,636 1% US
  75. Porsche 4,603 9% Germany
  76. Hermes 4,575 8% France
  77. Gap 4,357 -20% US
  78. Panasonic 4,281 4% Japan
  79. Cartier 4,236 10% Switzerland
  80. Tiffany & Co 4,208 5% US
  81. Pizza Hut 4,097 -4% US
  82. Allianz 4,033 2% Germany
  83. Moet & Chandon 3,951 6% France
  84. BP 3,911 3% UK
  85. Starbucks 3,879 7% US
  86. ING 3,768 -3% Netherlands
  87. Motorola 3,721 -10% US
  88. Duracell 3,682 2% US
  89. Smirnoff 3,590 6% UK
  90. Lexus 3,588 7% Japan
  91. Prada 3,585 9% Italy
  92. Johnson&Johnson 3,582 4% US
  93. Ferrari 3,527 N/A Italy
  94. Armani 3,526 N/A Italy
  95. Hennessy 3,513 -3% France
  96. Marriott 3,502 N/A US
  97. Shell 3,471 4% Netherlands
  98. Nivea 3,401 9% Germany
  99. FedEx 3,359 N/A US
  100. Visa 3,338 N/A US