Apple, Google, and Microsoft are the most valuable brands of 2017

Technology industry was a clear winner when Interbrand released its latest Global Brands ranking with half of the top ten brands being technology firms.

Without any surprises, Apple and Google topped the 18th edition of global rankings for the fifth consecutive year. While Apple’s brand value grew by 3 percent to $184.1 billion, Google’s brand value grew by 6 percent to $141.7 billion. Next is Microsoft that came in third and was one of 16 brands that achieved double-digit growth.

The other brands in the top 10 list included Coca-Cola, Amazon, Samsung, Toyota, Facebook, Mercedes-Benz and IBM. Notably, this was Facebook's first time in the top 10 brands list.

According to the report by the global brand consultancy, the world’s five top growing brands included Facebook which leads for the second year running, Amazon, Adobe, Adidas and Starbucks. Brand Facebook witnessed the maximum increase in value at $48.1 billion, an increase of 48 percent, followed by Amazon.com (29 percent), Adobe (19 percent), Adidas (17 percent) and Starbucks (16 percent), according to the report.

“Half of the 10 brands at the top of the BGB 2017 list are in the technology sector. They have mastered creating experiences through technology that reinforce the value of the brand itself. For all 10 brands, nothing is invented for the sake of it. New innovations merge seamlessly into an ecosystem of other experiences, totally oriented around the brands themselves,” said Jez Frampton, Interbrand’s global chief executive officer.

Overall, more than half of the Best Global Brands came from four sectors: Automotive (16), Technology (15), Financial Services (12), and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (9). Retail was the top growing sector in percentage terms (19 percent), followed by Sporting Goods (10 percent), Technology (8 percent), Logistics (7 percent), and Financial Services (6 percent).

Interbrand's rankings and brand valuations are based on factors including financial performance of company's products and services, how big a role a brand plays in influencing its consumers’ choice, brand loyalty and a brand’s command over premium pricing.