BackGoogle overtakes Apple as world’s top brand
Global market research agency Millward Brown says Google's brand value shot up 40% in a year to $158.84 billion
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Paris: US search engine Google Inc. has overtaken rival technology titan Apple Inc. as the world’s top brand in terms of value, global market research agency Millward Brown said on Wednesday.
Google’s brand value shot up 40% in a year to $158.84 billion, Millward Brown said in its 2014 100 Top BrandZ report.
“Google has been extremely innovative this year with Google Glass, investments in artificial intelligence and a range of partnerships," said Benoit Tranzer, the head of Millward Brown France.
Google Glass is Internet-linked eyewear for which the firm has joined hands with Luxottica Group, a frame company behind Ray-Ban and other high-end brands, to sell the new product in the US.
“All these activities send a very strong signal to consumers about the essence of Google," Tranzer said.
Apple, which dominated the top position for three straight years, saw its brand value fall by 20% to $147.88 billion.
The top 10 of the 100 slots were dominated by US firms. International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) was in third place at $107.54 billion, a fall of 4%, followed by Microsoft Inc. at $90.19 billion—a 29% rise.
Fast food chain McDonald Corp. ranked next at $85.71 billion, followed by The Coca Cola Company ($80.68 billion), it said.
China led in the insurance sector with Ping An Insurance (Grp) Co of China Ltd valued at $12.4 billion and China Life Insurance Company Ltd ($12 billion).
French luxury goods manufacturer LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA ranked 30th overall but was the top luxury brand with a value of more than $25 billion.
Brand value is calculated on the basis of the firms’ financial performance and their standing among consumers.
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