Google first 100 billion dollar brand

Google just keeps getting bigger and bigger. The search engine giant is not only the world’s biggest brand, it is also the first brand worth $100 billion. A report from the market research firm Millward Brown shows Google has kept its position as the world’s most powerful brand. It valued the company at $101.4 billion. This is 25 per cent higher than its biggest rival Microsoft, which is the second most valuable brand. The “Top 100 Most Powerful Brands” report lists Coca Cola at number three, followed by IBM and McDonalds. Technology companies make up eight of the top ten. Google’s brand is helped because it is now also a verb in everyday use. It is very common to hear people say “Google it” when they want some information.

The report is the world’s largest study of what consumers and businesses think of brands. It says a brand name is key for any business to grow. “A strong brand can help protect a business from risk, and position it for future growth,” it says. The authors believe a strong brand name is “the ultimate return on investment”. Joanna Seddon, chief executive of Millward Brown, told reporters: "In the current [economic] environment, brand has become even more important because it can help to sustain companies in tough times." Her report says brand value has grown, even through the recession: “The value of brands remains strong…the total value of the top 100 most valuable brands has increased to just under $2 trillion.”

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