Coca-Cola retains it's No. 1 rank in 'Best Global Brands'

Interbrand, the global branding and brand management company, has come out with it's 11th annual ranking of the "Best Global Brands".

Started in 1974, Interbrand has been listing the top 100 brands across the globe for 10 years in a row now and this year is the 11th annual ranking list. The company has 40 offices across the globe and is the world's largest brand consultancy.

Interbrand, publishes the ranking of the top 100 brands based on a unique methodology analyzing the many ways a brand benefits an organization, from attracting top talent to delivering quality on customer expectation. The other three key aspects contribute to a brand's value; the financial performance of the branded products or services, the role of brand in the purchase decisions process and the strength of the brand to continue to secure earnings for the company.

This year the rankings have seen quite a few dynamic changes compared to the last year's listings. However, for the 11th year straight Coco-Cola has been able to retain its #1 ranking on the list. Google at #4 ranking has seen a 36% increase in value compared to the last year and rival brand Microsoft is at #3.

IBM, Microsoft and Google lead Interbrand's 11th annual ranking of the "Best Global Brands." Google (#4) sees a 36% increase in value over last year, bringing the brand closer than ever to rival Microsoft (#3). HP (#10) has entered the top 10 for the first time, having increased brand value, owing it to a new business model and brand platform.

Apple #17 increased brand value by 37% through carefully controlled communication and due to the constant new product launches. With 32% brand value growth, BlackBerry (#54) remains the most popular smartphone for business users, despite pressure from Apple as it edges into the corporate world.

A lot of well known brand faced crisis in 2010 resulting in value loss and in the case of BP, failure to make the ranking this year. BP's inability to make good on its brand promise, helped competitor Shell emerge as an industry leader, now ranked at number 81, compared to #92 in 2009. Goldman Sachs at #37, which was once the envy of Wall Street, is now facing the dichotomy of strong economic results and an angry public that will continue to lash out until the company begins to demonstrate that it is making sincere efforts to better align its morals with its brand.

In the financial sector, brands like Citi (#40) and UBS (#86) lost double-digits in brand value. However, Santander (#68), Barclays (#74) and Credit Suisse (#80) made their debut on the list this year, their ability to stay true to brand promises in unsure times, and avoidance of the subprime mortgage crisis, helped them to make it to the list.

Though a difficult year for the auto industry in the international market, Mercedes Benz (#12) and BMW (#15) were able to sustain and build their value through innovative design and a focus on delivering premium quality vehicles. Using customer feedback, largely drawn from YouTube, Flickr, Twitter and Facebook to launch the 2009 Fiesta, Ford #50 stands out as one of the best example of how to use social media. Audi at #63 is leading the automobile industry with a 9% increase in its brand value.

Despite the economic downturn hovering over the financial world across globe, luxury brands like Cartier (#77), Armani (#95), Louis Vuitton (#16), Gucci (#44), Tiffany & Co (#76) and Hermes (#69) all saw the value of their brands increase in 2010 by continuing to invest in their famous status.

See the list of 100 best brands [CLICK HERE]

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