What are the most recognised brands across the world?

Country
2006
Value
($Mil)
2005
Value
($Mil)
Change in
Value
(%)
Description

1 1 Coca-Cola U.S. 67,000 67,525 -1% Flagging appetite for soda has cut demand for Coke, but the beverage giant has a raft of new products in the pipeline that could reverse its recent slide.

2 2 Microsoft U.S. 56,926 59,941 -5% Threats from Google and Apple haven't yet offset the power of its Windows and Office monopolies.

3 3 IBM U.S. 56,201 53,376 5% Having off-loaded its low-profit PC business to Lenovo, IBM is marketing on the strategic level to corporate leaders.

4 4 GE U.S. 48,907 46,996 4% The brand Edison built has extended its reach from ovens to credit cards, and the "Ecomagination" push is making GE look like a protector of the planet.

5 5 Intel U.S. 32,319 35,588 -9% Profits and market share weren't the only things slammed by rival AMD. Intel's brand value tumbled 9%, as it loss business from high-profile customers.

6 6 Nokia Finland 30,131 26,452 14% Fashionable designs and low-cost models for the developing world enabled the mobile phone maker to regain ground against competitors.

7 9 Toyota Japan 27,941 24,837 12% Toyota is closing in on GM to become the world's biggest automaker. A slated 10% increase in U.S. sales this year will help even more.

8 7 Disney U.S. 27,848 26,441 5% New CEO Robert Iger expanded the brand by buying animation hit-maker Pixar and beefing up digital distribution of TV shows through the Internet and iPods.

9 8 McDonaldâ€™s U.S. 27,501 26,014 6% A new healthy-living marketing campaignâ€”and the premium-priced sandwiches and salads that came with itâ€”have led to a fourth year of sales gains.

10 11 Mercedes-Benz Germany 21,795 20,006 9% The new S-Class sedan and M-Class SUV are helping repair a tarnished quality reputation. High costs and weak margins will take longer to fix.

11 12 Citi U.S. 21,458 19,967 7% Already the biggest U.S. bank, Citigroup's quest to generate more revenues from world markets has it introducing its brand to new emerging markets.

12 10 Marlboro U.S. 21,350 21,189 1% Marlboro remains firmly in the saddle, particularly outside the U.S., as it expands into developing markets.

13 13 Hewlett-Packard U.S. 20,458 18,866 8% Under CEO Mark Hurd, HP is skipping glitzy image ads to push specific products. Improving profits and a 40% stock price increase haven't hurt.

14 14 American Express U.S. 19,641 18,559 6% A preeminent financial-services brand among high-end customers, the company is recasting itself as hip to broaden its appeal to a younger set.

15 16 BMW Germany 19,617 17,126 15% BMW continues to churn out hot models that buyers love to drive and Japanese automakers can't seem to replicate.

16 15 Gillette U.S. 19,579 17,534 12% Gillette's new six-bladed Fusion razor met with ridicule when it was introduced. But with Fusion sales soaring, Gillette is still king.

17 18 Louis Vuitton France 17,606 16,077 10% With a glitzy new flagship on the Champs ElysÃ©es, the world's richest luxury brand celebrates yet another year of robust growth.

18 17 Cisco U.S. 17,532 16,592 6% Cisco's decision to lead with its Linksys brand for consumers hasn't made the company a household name yet, but it's helping.

19 19 Honda Japan 17,049 15,788 8% As gas prices rise, Honda's gas sippers are helping the Japanese carmaker gnaw into the Big Three's market share.

20 20 Samsung S. Korea 16,169 14,956 8% Samsung is rolling out hot LCD TVs and ever more powerful memory chips. But it is missing in action with low-end handsets, hurting market share.

21 25 Merrill Lynch U.S. 13,001 12,018 8% Merrill Lynch has made a dramatic transformation from a sleepy, stable brokerage to a lean and mean investment bank.

22 23 Pepsi U.S. 12,690 12,399 2% It tapped a growing obsession with obesity by shifting marketing dollars to Diet Pepsi. Another boost? Rival Coke's move to copy Pepsi Max with Coke Zero.

23 24 Nescafe Switzerland 12,507 12,241 2% Sales of instant coffee are piping hot in emerging markets, while flavored coffees and new products have boosted appeal in the U.S. and Europe.

24 38 Google U.S. 12,376 8,461 46% Its recent inclusion as a verb in the Oxford English Dictionary confirms what competitors feared: Google means search to an army of Web users.

25 21 Dell U.S. 12,256 13,231 -7% The king of the inexpensive PC is trying to regain trust with a campaign to bolster customer service and technical support.

26 28 Sony Japan 11,695 10,754 9% Sony CEO Howard Stringer has fixed the TV biz, but other electronics products are struggling. He's betting PlayStation 3 can help turn things around.

27 26 Budweiser U.S. 11,662 11,878 -2% A price war and changing tastes left the No.1 beer maker with a nasty hangover. The drop in profits for 2005 was its first in a decade.

28 29 HSBC Britain 11,622 10,429 11% With retail, private, and investment banking operations in 76 countries, the world's local bank is fast becoming a major force in financial services.

29 27 Oracle U.S. 11,459 10,887 5% Last year, Oracle bought another major software brand, Siebel Systems. This year it will have to sew it together and keep its customers happy.

30 22 Ford U.S. 11,056 13,159 -16% The iconic auto brand has declined in every measure. Weak marketing, bad press, shallow product portfolio, and a bottomed-out U.S. stock price hurt value.

31 30 Nike U.S. 10,897 10,114 8% Nike won in both the casual fashion and hard-core athletic markets with innovative new products, marketing, and partnerships.

32 32 UPS U.S. 10,712 9,923 8% China-to-U.S. routes are paying off handsomely, while a big contract to consolidate shipments for Dell is providing a boost back at home.

33 34 JPMorgan U.S. 10,205 9,455 8% Unlike other big banks selling money management units, JPMorgan is building a brand in the business, as merger integration efforts continue.

34 36 SAP Germany 10,007 9,006 11% New software aimed at smaller businesses helped SAP extend its customer base beyond blue chips.

35 35 Canon Japan 9,968 9,044 10% Digital cameras and copiers helped Canon become one of Japan's most profitable companies. New boss Tsuneji Uchida brings technological knowhow.

36 33 Morgan Stanley U.S. 9,762 9,777 0% CEO John J. Mack is overhauling the firm, and its brand, to restore its former reputation as the top investment bank.

37 37 Goldman Sachs U.S. 9,640 8,495 13% Goldman's repeated blockbuster trading results have made it Wall Street's most profitable money machine.

38 31 Pfizer U.S. 9,591 9,981 -4% Sold its over-the-counter unit to focus on developing new prescription drugsâ€”a smart move as powerhouse brands such as Lipitor face generic competition.

39 41 Apple U.S. 9,130 7,985 14% Apple continues to be the style master with its expanded family of iPods and Mac PCs. Its latest hit: the MacBook line of laptops.

40 39 Kelloggâ€™s U.S. 8,776 8,306 6% The cereal maker is striking an effective balance between healthy products like Special K and sugary treats like Pop Tarts to attract both moms and kids.

41 42 Ikea Sweden 8,763 7,817 12% Its affordable Scandinavian designs have helped the Swedish retailer become a household name from San Diego to Shanghai.

42 44 UBS Switzerland 8,734 7,565 15% Melding private banking and investment banking continues to pay off big-time, especially in Europe and Asia.

43 43 Novartis Switzerland 7,880 7,746 2% The Swiss pharmaceutical giant is expanding across everything from prescription drugs to generic medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics.

44 45 Siemens Germany 7,828 7,507 4% New CEO Klaus Kleinfeld has disposed of poor-performing telecom units, allowing Siemens to focus on businesses such as medical equipment.

45 46 Harley-Davidson U.S. 7,739 7,346 5% Still the king of the hogs. Growing sales to women augment the loyal customer base of baby boomers and hard-core bikers.

46 49 Gucci Italy 7,158 6,619 8% Designer Frida Giannini still can't match predecessor Tom Ford's star power. But sales of apparel and leather accessories are growing nicely.

47 55 eBay U.S. 6,755 5,701 18% Investors may not like increasing competition from the likes of Google, but TV ads keep boosting the online marketplace's brand appeal.

48 53 Philips Netherlands 6,730 5,901 14% Buoyed by the success of its medical equipment and high-tech consumer gadgets, Philip's focus on cutting-edge, easy-to-use products is paying off.

49 51 Accenture Bermuda 6,728 6,142 10% Bundling consulting and outsourcing gigs is helping Accenture stay fierce. Last year, sales grew by more than twice the rate of other tech-services firms.

50 48 MTV U.S. 6,627 6,647 0% Now 25, MTV is pushing into broadband with the MTV Overdrive site, where it faces competition with MySpace and YouTube for teens' attention.

51 50 Nintendo Japan 6,559 6,470 1% Nintendo is No.1 in portable video-game consoles, but the unconventional new Wii console machine due out this autumn could be a harder sell.

52 40 Gap U.S. 6,416 8,195 -22% Still searching for its fashion identity, the clothier's sales are fraying as it struggles to dress the twentysomething crowd for both work and weekend.

53 52 Lâ€™Oreal France 6,392 6,005 6% This French cosmetics maker's finances are looking prettier, thanks to a rebound in sluggish European sales.

54 47 Heinz U.S. 6,223 6,932 -10% Slimming its portfolio and adding products like Lea & Perrins hasn't been enough for Heinz to compete with retailers' in-house brands.