The World's Most Powerful Brands

The World's Most Powerful Brands

Mike Fox, ZUMA Press

No. 1: Google (GOOG) l Brand Value: $66.4 Billion
Web search leader moved up from No. 7 last year as its brand value soared 77 percent.

By AOL MONEY & FINANCE

Move over Microsoft, there's a new brand king in town. At least according to market research firm, Millward Brown Optimor. In its annual list of the top 100 most powerful brands, Google now replaces Microsoft as the world's top brand.

An article from Reuters points out that Google, which ranked No. 7 just one year ago, made the leap to the top spot with very little advertising. While Microsoft, on the other hand, slid down into third place despite the huge marketing push behind the Windows Vista operating system.

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And the short-term outlook seems promising for Google as well. Google, Apple, Louis Vuitton and seven other brands were deemed to have the Highest Brand Momentum. These are the 10 brands that are on a roll and expected to have the highest 1-year growth prospects.

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Other interesting tid-bits:

· Despite our anti-smoking culture today, Marlboro made it into the top 10 at No. 6, even notching past Wal-Mart.

· Even with the challenges posed by a society obsessed with diet and fitness, fast food brands have found ways to distinguish themselves. The category as a whole managed to outperform all other categories with the highest aggregatebrand value growth.

· Growth in the luxury goods category is being fueled by emerging markets, as self-made millionaires in China, Russia and other countries develop their tastes for luxury products. Topping the luxury brands ranking are: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Cartier, Hermes and Gucci.

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

No. 4 Coca-Cola (KO) l Brand Value: $44.1 Billion
The beverage giant dropped one spot this year, but its brand value rose 7 percent.

Samaruddin Stewart, AOL

No. 1 in Water: Evian (DA)
Parent: Group Danone
Global Value: $713 Million

· Likewise, the Brandz(TM) report states there have been dramatic increases in brand value for several brands in the personal care category, mainly driven by an increase in disposable income in fast-growing countries. Brands with a premium price and positioning, such as Clarins, Lancome and Shiseido, have grown significantly relative to their mass market competitors, says the Milward Brown study.

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More on the Brandz(TM) Ranking

The Brandz(TM) ranking is the first to combine public financial data and interviews with over one million consumers and is based on the brand's "dollar value"' based on the present value of earnings that a brand is expected to generate in the future.


Sources: Millward Brown Optimor's 2007 Brandz(TM) Top 100 Most Powerful Brands and Reuters