Due to the overwhelming success of its iPod portable music player, Apple Computer has jumped 24% in brand value, according to the latest list of the worldis most valuable brands, compiled by the consultancy company Interbrand Corp.
Apple now sits in 43rd place among the top 100, up from number 50 in last years results. Interbrand believes Appleis brand value now stands at US$6.87 billion, up from $5.55 billion in 2003.
The top 10 in the 2004 Interbrand chart included Coca Cola, Microsoft, IBM, GE, Intel, Disney, McDonaldis, Nokia, Toyota, and Marlboro. Coca-Cola, whose brand value is estimated at $67.4 billion, was down 4% since the 2003 rankings.
Among hi-tech companies, Microsoftis value was down 6% from last year, number eight Nokia fell two spots since last year, and America Online saw a 18% drop in brand value from 2003.
Interbrand calculated the global brand value based on earnings that each company is expected to generate from July 1, 2003 to June 30 of this year. The 100 most valuable global brands were determined by whether they produced significant earnings in global markets and if there was sufficient marketing and financial data publicly available to prepare a reasonable valuation.