Google in top 10 world brands

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

Coca-Cola 66,667 2% US

IBM 59,031 3% US

Microsoft 59,007 1% US

GE 53,086 3% US

Nokia 35,942 7% Finland

Toyota 34,050 6% Japan

Intel 31,261 1% US

McDonald's 31,049 6% US

Disney 29,251 0% US

Google 25,590 43% US

Mercedes 25,577 9% Germany

Hewlett-Packard 23,509 6% US

BMW 23,298 8% Germany

Gillette 22,069 8% US

American Express 21,940 5% US

Louis Vuitton 21,602 6% France

Cisco 21,306 12% US

Marlboro 21,300 0% US

Citi 20,174 -14% US

Honda 19,079 6% Japan

Samsung 17,689 5% S. Korea

H&M 13,840 N/A Sweden

Oracle 13,831 11% US

Apple 13,724 24% US

Sony 13,583 5% Japan

Pepsi 13,249 3% US

HSBC 13,143 -3% UK

Nescafe 13,055 1% Switzerland

Nike 12,672 6% US

UPS 12,621 5% US

SAP 12,228 13% Germany

Dell 11,695 1% US

Budweiser 11,438 -2% US

Merrill Lynch 11,399 -21% US

Ikea 10,913 8% Sweden

Canon 10,876 3% Japan

J.P. Morgan 10,773 -6% US

Goldman Sachs 10,331 -3% US

Kellogg's 9,710 4% US

Nintendo 8,772 13% Japan

UBS 8,740 -11% Switzerland

Morgan Stanley 8,696 -16% US

Philips 8,325 8% Netherlands

Thomson Reuters 8,313 N/A Canada

Gucci 8,254 7% Italy

eBay 7,991 7% US

Accenture 7,948 9% US

Siemens 7,943 3% Germany

Ford 7,896 -12% US

Harley-Davidson 7,609 -1% US

L'Oreal 7,508 7% France

MTV 7,193 4% US

Volkswagen 7,047 8% Germany

AIG 7,022 -6% US

AXA 7,001 -4% France

Heinz 6,646 2% US

Colgate 6,437 7% US

Amazon.com 6,434 19% US

Xerox 6,393 6% US

Chanel 6,355 9% France

Wrigley's 6,105 6% US

Zara 5,955 15% Spain

Nestle 5,592 5% Switzerland

KFC 5,582 -2% US

Yahoo! 5,496 -9% US

Danone 5,408 8% France

Audi 5,407 11% Germany

Caterpillar 5,288 5% US

Avon 5,264 3% US

Adidas 5,072 6% Germany

Rolex 4,956 8% Switzerland

Hyundai 4,846 9% S. Korea

BlackBerry 4,802 N/A Canada

Kleenex 4,636 1% US

Porsche 4,603 9% Germany

Hermes 4,575 8% France

Gap 4,357 -20% US

Panasonic 4,281 4% Japan

Cartier 4,236 10% Switzerland

Tiffany & Co 4,208 5% US

Pizza Hut 4,097 -4% US

Allianz 4,033 2% Germany

Moet & Chandon 3,951 6% France

BP 3,911 3% UK

Starbucks 3,879 7% US

ING 3,768 -3% Netherlands

Motorola 3,721 -10% US

Duracell 3,682 2% US

Smirnoff 3,590 6% UK

Lexus 3,588 7% Japan

Prada 3,585 9% Italy

Johnson&Johnson 3,582 4% US

Ferrari 3,527 N/A Italy

Armani 3,526 N/A Italy

Hennessy 3,513 -3% France

Marriott 3,502 N/A US

Shell 3,471 4% Netherlands

Nivea 3,401 9% Germany

FedEx 3,359 N/A US

Visa 3,338 N/A US

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