Internet search engine giant, Google has been named the number one brand in the fourth annual BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, as it continues to increase its value from $86 billion last year to $100 billion in 2009, which represents a growth of 16 per cent.

The BrandZ Top 100 ranking identifies the dollar value of brands. It does this by combining financial data with research on consumers and business-to-business users from BrandZ, the world's largest brand equity study.

The fourth annual BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking, published today by Millward Brown Optimor has named Google's arch rival, Microsoft to the second place, which climbed up one position from last year with a current value of $76.2 billion - also up 8 per cent over last year.

Coca-Cola has entered the top three for the first time at $67.6 billion followed by IBM at $66.62 billion, McDonald's $66.57 billion, Apple $66.11 billion, China Mobile $61.28 billion, GE $59.79 billion, Vodafone $53.72 billion and Marlboro $49.46 billion.

Millward Brown said that in a year of global financial turmoil, when every key financial indicator plummeted, the value of the top 100 brands increased by 2 per cent to $2 trillion

''In the current environment, where the value of many businesses has fallen, brand has become even more important because it can help to sustain companies in tough times,'' said Joanna Seddon, CEO Millward Brown Optimor. ''Those who continue to invest in their brand will be better positioned for business growth as the economic situation starts to improve than those who have cut spend.''

Fifteen new brands entered the ranking this year. Pampers is the highest entrant at no 31, followed by Nintendo at no32 and VISA at no.36.

Among the 10 brands in Asia was China Mobile in first place followed by ICBC, Toyota, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Nintendo, NTT DoCoMo, Honda, Nissan and Cannon.

Toyota emerged as the best brand among cars followed by BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Honda, Nissan, Ford, Volkswagen, Lexus and Chevrolet.

In luxury brands, France and Switzerland grabbed most of the places in the top 10 with Louis Vuitton right on top followed by Hermès, Gucci, Chanel, Rolex, Hennessy, Cartier, Moët & Chandon, Fend and Prada

Chinese company, China Mobile took the first place in best mobile operators with Vodafone, headquartered in the UK, remaining in second place followed by AT&T
Verizon Wireless, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, Movistar, T-Mobile, MTS and Beelin.

For all those alcohol lovers, among the top 10 brands in spirits was Smirinoff right on top followed by Bacardi, Johnnie Walker, Jose Cuervo, Absolut, Baileys, Jack Daniel's, Chivas, Gordon's and Ballantine's.

In Technology, the top ten rankings were Google, Microsoft, IBM, Apple, Nokia, Blackberry, HP, SAP, Intel and Oracle with Yahoo a distant sixteenth.

The best top ten brands in the Soft Drinks Category were, Coca Cola, Coke (Diets, Lights and Zero), Pepsi, Red Bull, Fanta, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Gatorade, Diet Pepsi and Mountain Dew.

The report concluded by saying that brands do matter even in a tight economy where people are still willing to pay for things that they feel is of value.

Commenting on the ranking, Eileen Campbell, Global CEO of Millward Brown said, ''It is a fantastic achievement to be one of the most valuable brands in the world, and we congratulate all brands that are featured in this ranking. At a time when marketing spend is under greater scrutiny than ever, this ranking is a way for marketers to identify the value that their brand is creating for the business.''