There’s yet another superlative to bestow on Apple (AAPL): Best Global Brand.
The company topped the annual Interbrand Best Global Brand report, followed by Google (GOOG). The companies placed first and second for the third year in a row.
Interbrand, a brand consultancy, determines 100 companies’ ranks by considering how much revenue they earn from a branded product, how effective the brand is at influencing its customers’ decisions, and brand loyalty.
The list pegs Apple’s value at $170.3 billion, an increase of 43% from last year, and Google is valued at $120.3 billion, up 12%.
Rounding out the list’s top five are Coca-Cola (KO) at No. 3, Microsoft (MSFT) at No. 4, and IBM (IBM) at No. 5.
Embattled brand Volkswagen, which is in the midst of a scandal involving emission tests, ranks No. 35 on this year’s list, down four spots from its 2014 rank.
