Apple and Android logos (Photo : Reuters)
Apple Inc. has reclaimed its title as the world's most valuable brand. After launching its iPhone 6 and smartwatch, Apple passed top-ranked Google , according to a new survey.
Apple was ranked no. 1 in the yearly BrandZ Global Brand Power List, with its estimated value skyrocketing to $247 billion. Meanwhile, Google lost its title as the world's most powerful brand, dropping to second place with a moderate 9 percent value increase to $173 billion.
Amanda Phillips is the UK marketing head of Milward Brown, which publishes the annual report. Phillips said that the main driver of Apple's rise to the report's top spot was its widely popular iPhone 6, according to The Guardian. That was despite Apple Watch's high volume sales.
Microsoft rounded out the Top 3 on the Power List. The Windows 10 developer is valued at $115 billion, which is a 28 percent leap from last year.
Foodies will be pleased that Coca Cola and McDonald's finished among the Top 10 most valuable brands. The eighth-placed soft drink company has a brand value of $83.8 billion, while the struggling fast food chain finished 9th with an $81 billion worth.
Facebook's value had the biggest jump in the Top 100 list. The social media giant nearly doubled its brand value to over $70 billion. This was due to the purchase of Instagram and WhatsApp, and surging global ad revenue.
The 2015 Most Valuable Brands rankings revealed the rising of Chinese brands, with 14 being represented on the list. Alibaba, an e-commerce company valued at $66 billion, made its debut at 13th.
Amazon, worth $62.2 billion, fell to 14th. Meanwhile, retail giant Walmart's value was ranked 26th, with a $35 billion valuation.
BrandZ uses two key factors to calculate its Top 100 Power List. One is yearly brand earnings , based on annual reports and potential earnings, according to Christian Science Monitor. The company also collects data through online research and offline interviews.
BrandZ included over 100,000 brands and 3 million consumers for its Top 100 power brands list.
