Google beats Microsoft, Coke in brand stakes

Google has knocked Microsoft off the top spot and been named the most powerful global brand of 2007.

It's the second year in a row a tech brand has beaten household names such as Coca-Cola, Marlboro and Toyota.

Google ranked first with a brand value of more than $66bn, nearly double its value in the 2006 ranking from Millward Brown Optimor.

Microsoft came in third this year with a brand value of $55bn. Fellow tech companies in the top 10 are China Mobile in fifth place and IBM in ninth.

The 10 most powerful global brands of 2007 plus value

1. Google - $66.4bn
2. General Electric - $61.9bn
3. Microsoft - $55bn
4. Coca-Cola - $44.1bn
5. China Mobile - $41.2bn
6. Marlboro - $39.2bn
7. Wal-Mart - $36.9bn
8. Citi - $33.7bn
9. IBM - $33.6bn
10. Toyota - $33.4bn

The 10 most powerful UK brands of 2007

1. Vodafone
2. HSBC
3. Tesco
4. M&S
5. Royal Bank of Scotland
6. Barclays
7. BP
8. Asda
9. Standard Chartered Bank
10. Lloyds TSB

Other technology companies featuring in the top 100 list include Nokia (12th), HP (15th) and Apple (16th) .

Peter Walshe, global brands director at Millward Brown, told silicon.com: "Google is an absolutely phenomenal brand in the sense that it is very clear what it stands for and it has perceived leadership and innovation."

Out of the complete top 100 listings, finance is the most dominant vertical with one in four coming from that sector. Technology is the second most prolific, with one in five brands, and retail is the third most popular sector.

Walshe said one of the key drivers to improve a company's brand is innovation and that's where technology brands tend to score very well. "People are rating technology brands as exciting, as brands they like and as brands they admire," he added.

The aim of the ranking is to calculate the value a brand is expected to generate for its owner in the future.

Google beat Microsoft to be named the UK's most popular brand in 2006 and the best global company to work for in 2007.