Coca-Cola Remains World’s Top Brand

For the 11th year in a row, Atlanta, Ga.-based Coca-Cola has topped Interbrand’s list of the 100 Best Global Brands.

Interbrand, a global branding consultant company ranks company brands annually on the basis of ongoing investment and management of each brand as a business asset. This includes an analysis of “the many ways in which a brand touches and benefits its organization – from attracting and retaining talent to delivering on customer expectation. The final value can then be used to guide brand management, so businesses can make better, more informed decisions,” according to Interbrand. Three key issues go into this assessment: financial performance of the branded products or services; the role of brand in the purchase decision process; and the strength of the brand.

Coca-Cola, with a value of US$70.5 billion, saw a two-per-cent jump in brand value for 2010. That compares to the number-2 ranked brand, IBM, with a value of $64.7 billion.

Other food and beverage companies on the list were the U.S.-based Pepsi (23), Switzerland’s Nescafé (27), the U.S.’s Budweiser (30), Kellogg’s (35) and Heinz (46), Switerzland’s Nestlé (57), France’s Danone (58), U.S.-based Sprite (61) and Jack Daniels (78), France’s Moët & Chandon (79), the Netherlands-based Heineken (93), and U.S-based Campbell’s (99).

Interbrand also notes that the beverage sector grew eight per cent this year, compared to just three per cent and two per cent for 2009 and 2008 respectively. For the full list, see www.interbrand.com