The World’s Ten Most Valuable Brands, Led by Apple

Apple Inc., the maker of iPhones and iPads, is the most valuable global brand, beating Coca-Cola Co., the European Brand Institute said Wednesday.

Apple topped the list with a brand value of $96 billion in a study of more than 3,000 companies in 24 countries, the Vienna-based institute said. Microsoft Corp. was third, one spot ahead of rival Google Inc. Apple overtook Google in brand value in May, in a separate report by Millward Brown.

North American brands performed twice as well as European counterparts in value terms, according to the institute, which compiled global rankings for the first time. The top 10 brand companies were all U.S.-based.

The institute, which includes public and private companies in its annual listing, uses an in-house methodology to calculate value and rankings based on factors including market value, brand revenue and overall sales.

Most valuable brands

The 10 most valuable brands in the world, according to the European Brand Institute (estimated value in billions of dollars):

1. Apple ($96 billion)

2. Coca-Cola ($76)

3. Microsoft ($70.6)

4. Google ($66.4)

5. IBM ($63.8)

6. McDonald’s ($62)

7. AT&T ($61.4)

8. Procter & Gamble ($61)

9. PepsiCo ($59.5)

10. Philip Morris ($59.2)

{Chicago Tribune/Matzav.com Newscenter}