Apple Inc. has overtaken Google as the most valuable brand in the world and more top global brands are originating from "BRICS" markets, global media communications services group WPP plc said in a report on Monday.
The Apple brand has increased in value by 84 percent from last year and 859 percent since 2006, with a brand value of 153.3 billion U.S. dollars, said WPP in its sixth annual study of BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands.


"By nurturing its brand and constantly innovating, Apple is able to command a high price premium and weather economic turbulence, providing a global business success story that other brands can learn from," said Eileen Campbell, CEO of brand research company Millward Brown, a WPP subsidiary.


During the economic recovery last year, the combined value of all the brands in the top 100 has risen by 17 percent and is now worth 2.4 trillion dollars, said the report.


Technology and telecom brands dominate the ranking, making up one-third of the top 100 brands. Apple is followed by Google, with a brand value of 111.5 billion dollars, a decrease of 2 percent from last year. IBM is in third place with a brand value of 100.9 billion dollars.


Facebook ranks No. 35 with the highest increase of 246 percent in brand value on a year-over-year basis, and the brand is now worth 19.1 billion. Online retailer Amazon also edged past Walmart to become the No. 1 retail brand and 14th overall, with a 37- percent rise in brand value to 37.6 billion.


Compared to two in 2006 and 13 in 2010, 19 brands come from " BRICS" markets in this year's ranking, highlighting the expanding purchasing power of people in these countries. While many of these brands are buoyed by the size of their local customer base, more brands now have international ambition, like Petrobras in Brazil and China's largest search engine Baidu, noted the report.


BRICS is a mechanism that groups the world's five major emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.


Twelve of the top 100 global brands are from China. China Mobile Ltd. ranks No. 9 with a brand value of 57.33 billion dollars, an increase of 9 percent from last year. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. ranks No. 11 and Baidu has moved up 46 places from last year to No. 29.


The top ten BrandZ most valuable global brands are Apple, Google, IBM, McDonald's, Microsoft, Coca-cola, at&t, Marlboro, China Mobile, and GE.


VietNamNet/Xinhuanet