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Apple has overtaken Coca-Cola to become the world's
most valuable brand, according to a report released today.
The crowning of the creator of the iPhone as the leading global brand is
striking testimony to the increasing power of technology compared to
traditional powerhouses such as car companies.
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Google came second in the list compiled by consultancy Interbrand, with
Coca-Cola, IBM and Microsoft rounding out the top five.
Coke, which has become an icon of globalisation and consumer society,
has been top of the list every year since it was first published in
2000.
But Apple's devotion to sleek design and Google's almost universal
popularity as the world's top search engine helped them surpass the
127-year-old drink for the first time.
Despite the death of Apple's visionary founder Steve Jobs in 2011, the
firm's brand value has continued to rise, according to Interbrand,
soaring 28 per cent in a year to reach $98.3billion.
Google's brand is worth $93.3billion - up 34 per cent on last year -
with Coca-Cola worth $79.2billion.
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The only brands in the top 10 to come from outside the U.S. were
Samsung, based in South Korea, and Japanese carmaker Toyota.
The top European brands were Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Louis Vuitton and H&M.
Among British firms, the most valuable brand is apparently HSBC, which
occupied 32nd place on Interbrand's list, with Burberry, Johnnie Walker
and Smirnoff the UK's only other contributions to the top 100.
The fastest riser was Facebook, whose brand value increased by 43 per
cent to propel it to no. 52 on the list.
By contrast, the value of Nokia's brand tumbled by two thirds in just
one year after the firm was sold to Microsoft, taking it from 19th place
to 57th.
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The fall of Nokia, along with other tech firms such as Yahoo! and
Blackberry, is a reminder that the value of brands can change rapidly in
the volatile sector, implying that Apple and Google may not stay at the
top for too long.
The total value of all the brands in Interbrand's top 100 came to
$1.5trillion, 8.4 per cent higher than last year despite the continuing
effects of the global financial crisis and subsequent recession. |