Google has once again been ranked the world's most powerful brand.
According to the annual Millward Brown Brandz survey, Google's brand is valued at $86 billion (43 billion). Microsoft is ranked second, valued at $70.9 billion (35 billion). IBM and Apple are both valued at $55 billion (25 billion).
Europe's most valuable brand, the researchers calculated, is Nokia, at $44 billion (22 billion). Mobile operator Vodafone is the highest-placed UK brand, at $37 billion (17.5 billion). Vodafone's brand value is up 75 per cent on last year.
Technology brands such as Google and Microsoft now outrank established consumer names such as Coca-Cola and McDonalds. Millward Brown also found that highly ranked brands' shares outperformed the wider stock markets.
Joanna Seddon, chief executive of Millward Brown, said the firm expected that trend to continue even in more difficult economic times. "Our data shows that strong brands continue to outperform weak ones, in terms of market shares and share price, during recessions," she said.
Technology was also the strongest-performing sector over the past 12 months. Technology and mobile firms now account for 28 of the top 100 brands, and their brand equity grew more strongly than any other industry.
However, Vodafone remains the UK's only leading technology brand. The remainder of the UK's top 10 consists of banks, retailers and the energy company BP, ranked seventh this year.
