Apple has broken into the list of the top 10 most valuable global brands for the first time, as the departure of founder Steve Jobs failed to dampen the meteoric rise of the iPhone and iPad maker.
Interbrand's annual report, which assigns a dollar value to each brand based on factors such as financial performance and brand strength, marked Apple as the biggest riser in its 100-brand report with its value rising 58% year on year to $33.5bn (£21.8bn).
Apple, which displaced the troubled phone-maker Nokia which fell to 14th, is the only newcomer to Interbrand's top 10.
Overall technology brands dominated this year's list with Google, which maintained fourth place, one of the biggest risers as its value soared 27% to $55bn.
Google is now breathing down the neck of third-ranked Microsoft, which slipped 3% to $59bn, as Bill Gates's firm has all but given up what was once a value lead of tens of billions of dollars.
Overall seven of the top 10 brands – which include IBM and Intel – are technology companies, although Coca-Cola retained the title of world's most valuable brand at $71.8bn.
For Apple, which is riding high on the success of products such as the iPad and with the iPhone 5 launching on Tuesday, this represents a jump from 17th last year to eighth in the current report.
It is the first time in the 12 years the report has been produced that Apple has made the top 10.
"Setting the bar high in its category and beyond, Apple is the icon for great branding meeting great technology," said Interbrand.
"Consumers continue to follow its product launches with anticipation and are quick to integrate its sleek products into their lifestyles. Steve Jobs's recent resignation has the world curious about the impact on this innovative company as it is unclear how much of the brand's success was due directly to Jobs's own vision and control, and how much was due to his team."
"Uncertainty is the new status quo, so today's brands need to be quick and nimble," said Jez Frampton, global chief executive at Interbrand.
"Consistency, relevance and commitment are imperative if a brand is to keep pace in our rapidly changing world."
Major risers for the year included Amazon.com, up 32% in brand value to 26th at $12.7bn, thanks in large part to the success of the Kindle and sales of ebooks.
Interbrand said luxury brands showed resilience against the economic downturn with all companies in that category in the list – which includes Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Armani – reporting increases.
The biggest luxury brand winners were Cartier, up 18%, and UK success story Burberry, which soared 20% to $3.7bn.
The report praised Burberry's "impressive digital innovation" and ability to "stay ahead of trends and even set them" and "maintain a constant and positive presence in the media".
"While luxury brands performed well across the board, Burberry bested them all by focusing on its core competencies in fashion, digital innovation and global expansion," the report said.
Major fallers include Nokia, down 15% in value from eighth to 14th; Sony, which fell 13% from 34th to 35th in part because of the hacking of the PlayStation network; Nintendo, which fell 14% from 38th to 48th as it struggles to keep up with competitors; and embattled Yahoo, which fell 11% from 66th to 76th.
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