Crisis hits financial brands; Coca-Cola retains top slot

NEW YORK: The financial crisis has wiped out billions of dollars from the top 100 global brands, especially from the financial services sector but the top five-- Coca-Cola, IBM, Microsoft, GE and Nokia-- managed to hold on to their positions despite a challenging year, says a survey.

According to a survey by leading brand consultancy Interbrand, Coca-Cola retained the top slot for the ninth year in a row.

While, there are no Indian company in the league of top 100 most valued global brands, most of them have a significant presence and brand recognition in the country.

The top gainers in this year's BusinessWeek and Interbrand's annual ranking include -- Google (25 per cent), Amazon (22 per cent), Zara (14 per cent), Pepsi (3 per cent) have all prospered during a challenging year for marketing executives.

But the year that was spelt gloom for brands in the financial services sector, UBS slipped dramatically down the list, falling 31 places to the 72 position, losing half of its brand value.

Seven brands mainly from the financial services sector fell right off the list including Merrill Lynch, AIG, ING after huge subprime losses.

Another major outcome of the survey is that there has been no change in the top five spots despite difficult times.