Survey Ranks Apple as Most Valuable Brand

In terms of brand value, Apple is apparently worth more than Microsoft and Coca-Cola combined, or so says a new survey. BrandZ, which is a brand equity database with data from over 650,000 consumers and professionals across 31 countries comparing over 23,000 brands, has Apple taking the No. 1 spot in its "Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands" list with an estimated value of $153 billion.

That's an 84 percent increase from its brand value in 2010, propelling the trendy tech company above other tech giants, like Google, which dropped 2 percent to $111 billion. Here's how the top 10 companies shake out:

1. Apple: $153.3 billion
2. Google: $111.5 billion
3. IBM: $100.8 billion
4. McDonalds: $81 billion
5. Microsoft: $78.2 billion
6. Coca-Cola: $73.8 billion
7. AT&T: $69.9 billion
8. Malboro: $67.5 billion
9. China Mobile: $57.3 billion
10. GE: $50.3 billion

The ranking system was developed by Millward Brown Optimor and analyzes the world's leading brands and the world's economic and competitive dynamics that influence value fluctuations. BrandZ focuses on companies that generate revenue and profits through the sale of goods and services directly to consumers or business customers, which is used to establish the value of each company's brand, and not the company itself.

The 100 most valuable brands increased by 17 percent year-over-year to $2.4 trillion, compared to a 13 percent increase in 2010, BrandZ said. As for Apple, its 84 percent spike was the fifth-highest jump, but paled in comparison to Facebook, which grew by 246 percent to $19 billion.