Apple versus Google: Here’s who’s won the latest title of world’s most valuable brand
Google and Apple continue to tussle for the top stop on the stock market, switching back and forth in recent months for the crown of the biggest market capitalisation of any company in the world. But it's Google which triumphs in the latest ranking.
The tech firm, now know under the umbrella Alphabet, has claimed the title of most valuable global brand from Apple with a brand value estimated at more than $229bn (£158bn), according to Millward Brown's annual BrandZ index.
The two top firms weren't the only ones to triumph in the tech world, with Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon and IBM making the top 10 too.
Read more: These are the top 10 most valuable brands in the world
Google's value shot up 32 per cent in the last year helping it leap ahead of Apple, which experienced an eight per cent decline in its brand value. But Google was only the seventh biggest riser on the list – it's Amazon, ranked seventh overall, which climbed furthest, up 59 per cent.
The total value of the world's top 100 brands grew to $3.4 trillion over the last year, up three per cent on the previous year despite economic factors such as low oil prices and slower growth in many countries.
However, that did weigh on the index in terms of growth – stripping out oil and gas firms along with banks, growth would have come in at six per cent.
Read more: Google's just overtaken Apple as the world's most valuable company (again)
Over the last decade, the top brands' values have risen more than 133 per cent despite the global financial crisis.
Meanwhile, Coca Cola for the first time dropped out of the top 10 thanks to a sugar backlash. It fell four per cent to number 13 with a value of just over $80bn.