Tech triumphs with Google, Microsoft, Apple and IBM scoring top marks in Millward Brown's ranking of the world's most valuable brands


BrandZ Top 100 worth over US$2 trillion, a 40 percent growth over five years, strong brands outperformed the stock market and proved resilient in economic downturn

Strong brands prove their resilience to economic downturn in the fifth annual Millward Brown Optimor BrandZ Top100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking released today. When most key financial indicators plummeted, the value of the top 100 brands rose by four percent in the last year to more than US$2 trillion.  The BrandZ Top 100, commissioned by WPP, is the only valuation in the world that takes into account customers’ opinions on brands and demonstrates this with a dollar value.

“Nine of the top 10 global brands have a strong brand history or presence in Australia,” said Daren Poole, Chief Client Officer of Millward Brown in Australia.  “Our research shows brand has become increasingly important to Australian consumers, with 89 percent saying brand plays a role in their purchasing decisions.  This is slightly ahead of the global average and represents a 17 percent increase since we initiated the BrandZ survey in Australia ten years ago.”

Other key findings include:

  • Tech Takes All
  • Social Media in your Face(book)
  • All the BRICs in the Wall
  • Banking on Brands:
  • Strong Brands Bounce Back Higher:  

Commenting on the ranking, Eileen Campbell, Global CEO of Millward Brown said: “This ranking has elevated the importance of building brands among some of the world’s most successful companies. CEOs and CFOs around the world should be asking their brand and marketing teams how they can leverage brand to both protect and grow the business.”

The Most Valuable Global Brands 2010

Rank

Brand

Value in $ million

Brand Value change from 2009

1

Google

114,260

+14%

2

IBM

86,383

+30%

3

Apple

83,153

+32%

4

Microsoft

76,344

0%

5

Coca Cola

67,983

+1%

6

McDonald’s

66,005

-1%

7

Marlboro

57,047

+15%

8

China Mobile

52,616

-14%

9

GE

45,054

-25%

10

Vodafone

44,404

-17%

 

NOTE TO EDITORS:

 Download the complete BrandZ ranking, including regional and category breakdowns. The rankings are also available as a free application for the iPhone, Nokia and BlackBerry from www.brandz.com/mobile.

ENDS

About the BrandZ Most Valuable Brands Ranking

Developed for WPP’s operating companies by Millward Brown Optimor, the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking is now in its fifth year.  It is the only study to combine

measures of brand equity based on interviews with over a million consumers globally aboutthousands of global “consumer facing” and business-to-business brands with a rigorous analysis of the financial and business performance of each company (using data from Bloomberg and Datamonitor) to separate the value that brand plays in driving business revenue and market capitalisation. Consumer perception of a brand is a key input in determining brand value because brands are a combination of business performance, product delivery, clarity of positioning, and leadership. 

The ranking takes into account regional variations since, even for truly global brands, measures of brand contribution might differ substantially across countries.

About Millward Brown

Millward Brown (www.millwardbrown.com) is one of the world's leading research agencies and is expert in effective advertising, marketing communications, media and brand equity research.  Through the use of an integrated suite of validated research solutions — both qualitative and quantitative — Millward Brown helps clients build strong brands and services.  The company employs over 90 staff across Sydney and Melbourne, and has more than 78 offices in 51 countries.  Additional practices include Millward Brown's Global Media Practice (media effectiveness unit), Millward Brown Optimor (focused on helping clients maximize the returns on their brand and marketing investments) and Dynamic Logic (the world leader in digital marketing effectiveness). Millward Brown is part of Kantar, WPP's insight, information and consultancy group.

About WPP

WPP is the world’s largest communications services group.  Through its operating companies, the Group provides a comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services including advertising; media investment management; consumer insight; public relations and public affairs; branding and identity; healthcare communications; direct, digital, promotion and relationship marketing and specialist communications.  The company employs over 138,000 people (including associates) in 2,400 offices in 107 countries.  For more information, visit www.wpp.com.