Interbrand Releases 12th Annual Best Global Brands Report

Coca-Cola (#1) takes the lead in Interbrand's 2011 Best Global Brands report for the 12th consecutive year. Another brand leader is Apple (#8). With a brand value that increased a staggering 58 percent, Apple is this year's top riser and, for the first time, it sits amongst the top 10 brands listed in Interbrand's report.

Interbrand, a leading brand consultancy, produces its Best Global Brands report based on a unique methodology. The methodology analyzes three key aspects that contribute to a brand's value: the financial performance of the branded products or services, the role of brand in the purchase decision process and the strength of the brand to continue to secure earnings for a company.

Due to the volatile markets and uncertain business climate that characterized 2011, brands are in the midst of adapting to a new reality. This past year, technology brands continued to show sector-wide growth. Seven of the top 10 brands (IBM, Microsoft, Google, GE, Intel, Apple and Hewlett-Packard), four of the five biggest risers (Apple, Amazon.com, Google and Samsung) and the one of the few new entrants to the Best Global Brands report (HTC, the mobile device maker in Taiwan) all hail from within the tech sector.