Apple was declared the most valuable brand in the world on Sunday, taking the title away from Internet search giant Google. Apple earned the title in the 2011 BrandZ study by Millward Brown Optimor, and marks the first time in four years where Google hasn’t been ranked in the list’s top position.
BrandZ: Apple is the most valuable brand
The BrandZ lists ranks companies annually based on what the research firm calls “economic and competitive dynamics that influence value fluctuations.” According to the organization, its BrandZ report offers “the most comprehensive annual ranking of brand value, and focuses on consumer-facing brands, rather than corporate brands.”
Apple rose 84 percent for a brand value worth US$153,285 million, while Google fell 2 percent to hit $111,498 million. The remaining three top-five companies included IBM, McDonald’s and Microsoft.
AT&T came in at number seven, Verizon at 13, and Amazon at 14.
Despite Google’s drop to the second most valuable company, it’s a company that’s still worth watching. “Google is still pretty hot,” Millard Brown CEO Eileen Campbell told Advertising Age. “It remains one of the most-desirable and trusted brands we track.”
Apple also climbed several spots on the Fortune 500 list. The Mac, iPhone and iPad maker is now ranked 35, coming in ahead of companies like Microsoft, Dell and Amazon.