The 9 Most Valuable Tech Brands In The U.S.: Brand Finance

Brand Finance, a consulting agency specializing in brand valuation, has released its "Brand Finance Global 100" report ranking the world's most valuable brands.

This annual list is compiled to supplement the "Brand Finance Global 500," which was released back in March. To create its ranking, the agency evaluates companies and awards points based on a brand value index, which is defined as "a benchmarking study of the strength, risk and future potential of a brand relative to its competitor set as well as a brand value: a summary measure of the financial strength of the brand."

We won't give away the most valuable brand (you'll have to view the slideshow to find out), but we will say that it's a tech company that ranked first in both the United States and the rest of the world in Brand Finance's previous release. The new report also reflects several big changes that have taken place since earlier in 2011.

An examination of U.S. technology an IT companies, for example, showed that Apple's brand value has grown most notably in the past six months, according to Brand Finance. "Apple’s value rose 33% making the brand more valuable than rival Microsoft for the first time," writes the study. "Apple’s success can be attributed to its innovative design, loyal consumer base and well-executed marketing activities. Naturally there is speculation about how the brand will be impacted by Steve Jobs recent resignation. However with a culture of innovation across the whole business, the brand is likely to continue to hold a strong."

Though Brand Finance currently ranks Apple as the second most valuable brand in the U.S. (and in the world), a separate study released in May 2011 by global brands agency Millward Brown placed Apple at the top of its most valuable list. In August, Apple briefly surpassed Exxon to become the most valuable company in the U.S., in terms of market capitalization.

Check out the 9 most valuable technology and IT brands based in the U.S. (below), then view our slideshow of the top brands in the world (here), as ranked in the September update of the Brand Finance Global report. Visit Brand Finance's website to view the entire September report.

• #9 - eBay

  Brand Value September 1, 2011: 9,420 Overall U.S. Rank: 41

• #8 - Dell

  Brand Value September 1, 2011: 11,246 Overall U.S. Rank: 33

• #7 - Oracle

  Brand Value September 1, 2011: 12,377 Overall U.S. Rank: 29

• #6 - Amazon

  Brand Value September 1, 2011: 20,885 Overall U.S. Rank: 15

• #5 - Intel

  Brand Value September 1, 2011: 23,491 Overall U.S. Rank: 14

• #4 - IBM

  Brand Value September 1, 2011: 35,981 Overall U.S. Rank: 4

• #3 - Microsoft

  Brand Value September 1, 2011: 39,005 Overall U.S. Rank: 3

• #2 - Apple

  Brand Value September 1, 2011: 39,301 Overall U.S. Rank: 2

• #1 - Google

  Brand Value September 1, 2011: 48,278 Overall U.S. Rank: 1

Comments

[deans2cents]

07:18 PM on 09/14/2011

Does this mean the CEO's will all buy bigger yachts and pay less in income taxes?

[CLASSWARWELOST]

11:57 AM on 09/16/2011

They already are and laughing as they steal from us.

[frank1946]

07:17 AM on 09/14/2011

COOL.................a $ 89.00 Tablet w/ a Browser.....................Pandigital Novel 7 @
ComputerGeeks.com

Yes, Google does Rock !

[BryantG]

06:00 PM on 09/13/2011

IBM was founded exactly one hundred years ago. I wonder how many on this list will be around in 2111.

[Mehdi Sanoh]

09:07 AM on 09/13/2011

Interesting stuff...

[billtstrong]

07:00 PM on 09/12/2011

Sorry Apple, I like you very much, but Google rocks!

[destin023]

04:37 PM on 09/12/2011

I haven't looked (pinky swear) or viewed the comments here. My guess is IBM based on their brand name & intellectual property. IBM files for patent rights more than any other company in the world on an annual basis. That's my guess & I'm sticking with it..

[BrandoSteel]

03:55 PM on 09/12/2011

Here is an interesting take on the subject.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8RsO1iKNAE&feature=channel_video_title

I think priorities in our soceity and way of thinking need to change.......we have it wrong right now. This economy will not last, earth's resources will not last with this system because this system requires infinite growth and expansion. While apple's techonolgy is great and innovative their motive of profit is extremely wasteful.

[MalekJordan]

03:52 PM on 09/12/2011

Love Google, but can't understand why Ebay is still on this list. It seems so............outdated.

[Lee Alan]

04:14 PM on 09/12/2011

Are you kidding me? What a stupid comment do some research.

[fallenletters23]

04:15 PM on 09/12/2011

ebay owns paypal. Enough said.

[djskeb]

03:19 PM on 09/12/2011

It must be a generational thing, all this talk of taxing the super rich, all those evil industries that need government control; auto, banking, energy, insurance, pharmacutials And The electronics, computers, gaming markets and their owners, and entertainment of course are off limits. Never mind the content of some video games or lyrics or movies. Then its free speech. Wonder how it will be when someone in government decides everyone needs a computer? Thus all will get one. Of course if that means price controls, well, it's for the best. What if government said what types of computers to build, just like what kind of cars, what interest rates, what kind of health care you can have? Well, that certainly won't happen, these industries are not yet classified as dangerous to society, and their owners are a seen as rather friendly folk, look at what they have given to the world. Too bad others in different industries are not viewed as kindly, their accomplishements praised, their wealth from initiative and risk and hard work as eqaully noteworthy. Maybe we only care about what's cool, what entertains. Easy then to forget how hard others work, what other industries are essential.

[paulatkinson22]

01:39 PM on 09/12/2011

Google ahead of Apple? Laughable. Apple dominates the landscape of tech. Go up to any person on the street and ask them to name the maker of amazing devices or technology. 99 out of 100 would say Apple before Google even crosses their mind. Also, what does Google actually make? No phone, no tablet, no computers... nothing tangible that you can hold in your hand. Just saying.

[hommie]

03:46 PM on 09/12/2011

You must be the most ignorant clown on the plane, whats most laughable is that you ask what does "Google actually make?" utter noob

[Lee Alan]

04:15 PM on 09/12/2011

Ahahaha DUMBEST post ever! Google is the largest technology company in the world genius!

[paulatkinson22]

05:12 PM on 09/12/2011

I knew I could get all the Android goobers all stirred up. Comical!

[manatipr34]

01:19 PM on 09/12/2011

What! what did the article said???...MADE IN CHINA

[Jack Daniels Esq]

03:47 AM on 09/12/2011

I have never considered an OS, like gasoline, a brand, per se.
Sony Apple, et al, HW brands - MS Unix Google, etc, are not - jess sayin'

[Fletch55]

03:08 PM on 09/12/2011

How isnt google and MS since they sell software, music, applications, phones,stock,music players, tvs....

[DRaymond]

11:44 PM on 09/10/2011

Funny, you don't consider HP a tech brand?  It is number 13 on the overall list, well above many of the other 'tech companies' you list.

Actually one of the interesting things will be to see where Compaq turns up when it becomes a brand again. (HP is going to spin off the personal systems group, which will undoubtedly be called Compaq).

[JosephTX]

11:15 AM on 09/11/2011

HP sells tech products? I thought they just sold bricks.

[annabetancourt]

03:08 AM on 09/12/2011

the reason is hp is switching to pocket pc and tablets rather than investing more in computers

http://thetopnewz.com/2011/08/19/hp-%E2%80%93-computers-to-computing/

[DRaymond]

10:17 AM on 09/12/2011

Obviously you don't follow the tech news.  HP has dropped the entire line of tablets and smartphones.

[Mark Langston]

11:02 PM on 09/10/2011

Google may be number 1 but there's something to be said for innovative products that continue to shape the computing industry.

Considering Google has their hands in so many projects it makes sense that they would be number 1. They basically own the search engine business.

As for Jobs resigning, you can't tell me that Jobs didn't lay down the groundwork for Apple for the next 5 or more years.

[ResearchtheFacts]

02:45 AM on 09/11/2011

Nope market is slipping in Europe and with all the senseless baseless lawsuits, they are being judged in the court of public opinion. The lawsuits are ridiculous, Kodak really Apple get real.

[JosephTX]

11:24 AM on 09/11/2011

Apple wasn't any less blatantly evil with Jobs as CEO either. The lawsuits started while he was still running the company, after all. Let's not forget how the past decade for Apple has consisted of them using open-source code to "write" their own programs which they would then obfuscate and patent, dealing with Chinese sweatshops that are cruel even by Chinese standards, claiming copyrights to their innovative iRectangle, installing firmware to make it difficult/impossible for Mac users to install non-Apple internal components in their latest computers, marketing themselves as "green" despite being ranked dead last in environmentalism, falsifying evidence (oops, I mean "making devices easier to compare") in their cases against Samsung, and patents, patents, patents.

[J5K]

07:04 PM on 09/12/2011

Google is far more innovative than Apple. Peel off your fanboi blinders and take a gander at reality.

Apple does a semi decent job at polishing up other peoples' innovations. Their biggest innovations are in branding and marketing.