Google Overtakes Apple As the World’s Top Brand – GOOGL, AAPL

Internet service giant Google (GOOGL) has surpassed rival technology titan Apple (AAPL), becoming the world’s most valuable brand, global market research agency Millward Brown said Wednesday.

Google’s market valuation rose following the company’s all-time high of $1,228.88 earlier this year. At the time the closing share price represented a strong one-year return of nearly 60%. The search giant’s brand value meanwhile spiked 40 percent in a year to $158.84 billion, Millward Brown said in its 2014 100 Top BrandZ report.

“Google has been hugely innovative in the last year with Google Glass, investments in artificial intelligence and a multitude of partnerships that see its Android operating system becoming embedded in other goods such as cars”, said Nick Cooper, Millward Brown’s Managing Director. “All of this activity sends a very strong signal to consumers about what Google is about and it has coincided with a slowdown at Apple”.

The iPhone maker, which dominated the top position for three straight years as the world’s most valuable company, saw its brand value decline by 20 percent to $147.88 billion. International Business Machines Corp was third with a decrease in brand value by 4% to $107,541 billion, followed by software giant Microsoft at $90.19 billion — a 29 percent jump.

Here is BrandZ 2014 Top 10 List of Most Valuable Global Brands:

• Google Technology (GOOGL), (GOOG),  $158,843b, +40%
• Apple Technology (AAPL), $147,880B,  -20%
• IBM Technology (IBM), $107,541B, -4%
• Microsoft Technology (MSFT), $90,185B, +29%
• McDonald’s Fast Food (MCD), $85,706, -5%
• The Coca-Cola Company (KO), $80,683B, +3%
• Visa Inc (V), $79,197B, +41%
• AT&T (T), $77,883B, +3%
• Marlboro Tobacco $67,341B, -3%
• Amazon.com (AMZN), $64,255B, +41%

Brand value is calculated based on the views of potential and current buyers of a brand and the firms’ financial performance.

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