Technology brands IBM, Microsoft, Google, GE, Intel, Apple and Hewlett-Packard claim seven of the top 10 spots.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) takes the lead in the 2011 Best Global Brands report for the 12th consecutive year. However, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is this year’s top riser as it increases a staggering 58 per cent and for the first time sits amongst the top 10 brands, listed at number 8.

Technology brands continued to show sector-wide growth. Seven of the top 10 brands in the report by Interbrand (IBM, Microsoft, Google, GE, Intel, Apple and Hewlett-Packard), four of the five biggest risers (Apple, Amazon.com, Google and Samsung) and one of the few new entrants to the Best Global Brands report (HTC, the mobile device maker in Taiwan) all hail from within the tech sector.

Technology highlights

IBM (#2) showed a very strong performance this year. This underscores the increasing importance of brand in the B2B space. IBM’s performance is also a strong indicator that well-defined corporate strategies, like the company's Smarter Planet business strategy, can become very valuable business assets.

Amazon.com (#26) has become one of the world’s strongest brands in record time – jumping 32% in brand value this past year. Much of Amazon’s recent success can be directly attributed to its strong sales of the Kindle and e-books. By identifying a consumer need ahead of competitors and quickly developing the technology to meet that need, Amazon managed to create a new revenue stream — one that bolstered both its original business model and, correspondingly, its brand value.

HTC (#98) made its first appearance in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands report this year. HTC, a mobile device company that recently shifted from B2B to B2C, is focusing on increasing consumer awareness, establishing partnerships with more established brands and enhancing its digital brand strategy – all of which make it a brand to watch in the year ahead.

Financial services

Following the 2008 financial crisis, certain financial brands continue to struggle – particularly those financial brands based in the US. Legacy banking brands Goldman Sachs (#38), Citi (#42) and Morgan Stanley (#54) saw slight declines in brand value the report. Certain European-based financial institutions, however, saw brand values climb five percent or more within the past year.

Allianz (#67) experienced growth of 9 percent within the European financial services sector, while Spanish banking giant Santander (#68) and Zurich (#94) from Switzerland also showed growth in terms of brand value. Such organizations seemed deeply committed to restoring consumer trust and reestablishing strong business ethics.

Luxury brands

All luxury brands appearing in Interbrand’s report were able to increase their respective brand values by striking a delicate balance in 2011: They each leveraged their iconic status and simultaneously engaged new consumers in unique and relevant experiences.

Corporations such as Louis Vuitton (#18), Gucci (#39), Hermès (#66), Cartier (#70), Tiffany (#73), Armani (#93) and Burberry (#95) all saw their respective brand values increase this year. Each of these luxury brands put a renewed focus on quality, craftsmanship and an increased emphasis on digital brand strategy.

Most notably, Burberry (#95) increased its brand value by 20%, making the British luxury retailer one of the top risers in this year’s report.