A leading global market research and consulting firm Millward Brown released the new edition of the BrandZ Ranking which identifies the world’s most powerful brands as measured by their dollar value.

Millward Brown puts Google at number one in its annual top 100 global brand power list. For the second year, Google tops the list with a brand value of $86.1bn. The search engine giant is followed by General Electric at $71.4bn and Microsoft at $70.8bn.

Source: Millward Brown

The combined value of all brands in the BrandZ Top 100 increased by 21% from $1.6 trillion in 2007 to $1.94 trillion in 2008, more than double the increase experienced the previous year.

“This year’s brand ranking demonstrates the importance of investing in brands, especially in times of market turmoil. Strong brands generate superior returns and protect businesses from risk,” said Joanna Seddon, CEO of Millward Brown Optimor. “Our data shows that strong brands continue to outperform weak ones in terms of market share and share price during recessions.”

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