Apple and Google are the world’s top two most valuable brands

Consultancy firm Interbrand has released its latest listing of the world’s most valuable brands, and Apple, Google, Microsoft, and IBM have landed at the top of the chart for at least the fifth consecutive year.

Apple and Google remain in the top spots  –  the third year in a row that they’ve been in first and second position, respectively. Other technology firms on the list include Microsoft (#4), IBM (#5), Samsung (#7), Amazon (#10), Intel (#14), Cisco (#15), Oracle (#16), HP (#18), Facebook (#23), eBay (#32), PayPal (#97), and Lenovo (#100).

A total of 28 out of the 100 companies Interbrand lists are technology-based, comprising more than a third of the total value. No other industry has such a strong showing in the rankings.

Facebook showed the biggest gain this year, rising from #29 to #23, thanks to a 54 percent increase in its brand value, while PayPal and Lenovo made their first appearances this year. The electronics manufacturer becomes the second Chinese brand to be added to the list, joining Huawei.

“Because today, business and brands need to happen at the speed of people’s lives, this year’s Top 100 represents those elite brands that best align with people’s priorities and seamlessly integrate into their everyday,” said Interbrand global chief executive, Jez Frampton. “It is genuinely exciting to see so many leading brands across so many diverse industries increasingly embrace the role they play in influencing customer choice and building new business models in response to changing norms and testing new ideas to meet the need of shifting consumer mindsets.”

Interestingly, Alibaba is not featured in this list, even though it was suggested that it would be following its amazing IPO a year ago.

For the past 16 years, Interbrand has looked at hundreds of brands to determine which ones are the most valuable. While the definition is rather broad, the firm’s methodology focuses on three components: the financial performance of the brand’s products or services, its influence on a customer’s purchase decision, and how competitively it stands in the market.