Apple surged past Google with an 84 percent increase in brand value over the past year to become the top brand on a ranking of the most valuable global brands.

While Google brand lost 2 percent of its brand value, it was one of the many technology and telecommunications brands to dominate the list. Technology brands made up one-third of the list.

?The prevalence of technology and telecom brands in the BrandZ Top 100 reflects a continued global trend,? said Nigel Hollis, executive vice president and chief global analyst of Millward Brown, which helped put the list together. ?Mobile technology is becoming increasingly important in the lives of people all around the world.

?Smartphones are changing the way people communicate and access content, but they are useless without the connectivity provided by the mobile infrastructure,? he said.

The Brandz Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study from WPP and Millward Brown ranks the world?s most valuable brands based on financial data and brand equity.

This year?s list includes newcomer Facebook, which made its debut at number 35, and had the highest increase in brand value (246 percent).

Mobile an important feature
Online retailer Amazon passed Walmart to become the No. 1 retail brand, with a 37 percent rise in brand value.

Technology also played a role in helping brands such as Burberry, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Coca-Cola win consumers? hearts and minds through the use of social media and apps.

Mobile was an important feature of all of the telecoms brands in the ranking, which were AT&T (No. 7), China Mobile (No. 9), Vodafone (No. 12), Verizon (No. 13), Deutsche Telekom (No. 19), Spain?s Movistar (No. 21), Orange (No. 36), NTT DoCoMo of Japan (No. 48), Telecom Italia (No. 75), Telcel (No. 76) and MTS (No. 80).

With wireless data transmission surpassing voice last year for the first time, telecoms firms tried to keep up with this shift by becoming one-stop resources of electronic communications, including landlines, cable and wireless mobile and Internet.

Telecoms firms also looked for ways to differentiate their brand, often focusing on technology and content to accomplish this. In terms of technology, these firms tried to expand networks and introduce 4G.

?The most successful companies are combining reliable and dependable connectivity with extras that make them more an entertainment company than a utility,? Mr. Hollis said.

?Convenience has always been a big motivation in people?s lives,? he said. ?If people can get connection to family and friends, information and entertainment from one provider, they will choose to do so.?

Many also attempted to become content providers with entertainment packages aimed at maximizing their share of household media.

However, the increasing availability of mobile devices for sale at mass merchants made shopping more a mobile device more frustrating for consumers. 

The product selection now includes a variety of devices from various providers, which made price comparison difficult for consumers.

?Telecoms are increasingly a central part of people?s lives and are as vital to people?s lives as the other utilities we rely on like power and water,? Mr. Hollis said.

?Even during the Great Recession, consumer spending on technology and cellular services grew in the U.S., reflecting the ?must-have? nature of the cateogory.?

Final Take
Millward Brown on branding