TECH COMPANIES DOMINATE ANNUAL LIST

Apple has overtaken Google to reclaim the title of “world’s most valuable brand” in the 2015 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, released by WPP and its Millward Brown unit. By their calculation Apple has increased its brand value to $247 billion, a rise of 67% year on year. Google, falling to second place, also grew, achieving a 9% value increase to reach $173.7 billion.

Though the AppleWatch is currently getting a lot of buzz, it’s the success of the iPhone 6 that has been the main driver of Apple’s brand value growth. “Apple continues to ‘own’ its category by innovating and leading the curve in a way that generates real benefits for consumers,” said Doreen Wang, Millward Brown’s Global Head of BrandZ. She also noted that “Apple is clear on what it stands for” and never stops refreshing its message.

Technology companies again ruled the list, claiming the top four spots. Microsoft, now worth $115.5 billion, moved up one spot to #3 with value growth of 28%. IBM saw its brand value drop 13% to just under $94 billion, dropping it to fourth place. The rest of the top ten brands by global value are Visa, AT&T, Verizon, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Marlboro.

The total brand value of the Top 100 now stands at $3.3 trillion, a 14% increase on 2014 and a 126% growth over the 10 years since the ranking was first launched. Technology is the fastest-growing category—up 24% in the last year, the tech brands in the Top 100 are worth more than $1 trillion, nearly a third of the value of all brands in the ranking. Facebook is the fastest riser, with 99% growth in a single year to $71.1 billion, achieved through its successful strategy of acquiring and integrating other social apps such as Instagram and WhatsApp, and an understanding of how to monetize and cross-sell its platforms.