Apple has toppled Google in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study, with the search giant relinquishing its four-year number one ranking. IBM came in a number three in the study, which is conducted by Millward Brown Optimor and is in its sixth year.
Apple's brand is valued at $153.3 billion according to the BrandZ study — an increase in value of 859 per cent since the inaugural 2006 study. The value of the Apple brand increased by 84 per cent between the 2010 and 2011 studies. Google's brand is pegged at $111.49 billion, a drop of two per cent since last year, while IBM is valued at $100.8 billion — a 12-month increase of 17 per cent.
Other ICT companies to make a showing include AT&T, number seven on the list and worth $69.9 billion, and Facebook, with the social networking service debuting at number 35 with a value of $19.1 billion. NASDAQ-listed Chinese search engine Baidu took out the 29th spot on the ranking, with a value of $22.5 billion.
The BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study involves interviews with more then 2 million consumers globally as well as analysis of each company's performance.
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