Interbrand has released its Best Global Brands rankings for 2014, and once again, the list of 100 firms is topped by technology companies. Apple, valued at $118.9 billion, sits in the top spot, just ahead of Google at a price of $107 billion. Of the 100 firms on the list, 13 operate in the tech sector, and five of those are in the top ten — in addition to Apple and Google, IBM and Microsoft take the fourth and fifth slots in the rankings, while Samsung comes in seventh. Coca-Cola still appears in third place, bumped to a bronze medal after Apple and Google ended the drink empire's 13-year reign at the top of Interbrand's list last year.
These giant tech corporations easily beat out entertainment giants such as Disney and MTV, car companies Mercedes Benz and BMW, and high-value luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Cartier. Interbrand says it weighs up three key aspects in deciding a brand's value — the financial performance of the company's products and services, the role the brand plays in influencing consumer choice, and the ability the brand has to command a premium price or lock down earnings for the company. There's some subjectivity at play in deciding brand valuations, but Interbrand says its methodology is the first of its kind to be certified by the International Organization for Standardization, meaning its analysis has been independently approved as accurate.
© 2014 http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/9/6950619/apple-tops-best-global-brands-report-again-as-tech-dominates
