NEW YORK: Tech businesses dominate Interbrand's latest Best Global Brands report with Apple taking the number one spot and Google, Microsoft and Samsung also featuring in the top ten.

Interbrand's rankings are based on its assessment of the financial performance of branded products or services, the role the brand plays in influencing consumer choice and the strength the brand has to command a premium price, or secure earnings for the company.

On these measures Apple has leapt ahead in the past year following the launch of the iPhone6. Its brand value has increased 43% to $170.3bn, stretching its lead over second-placed Google, whose brand value rose a more modest 12% to $120.3bn.

In fifth spot, Microsoft's value had risen 11% to $67.6bn, while that of seventh-placed Samsung had hardly changed on $45.3bn.

Soft drinks business Coca-Cola was the highest ranked non-tech brand, in third place. Its brand value as calculated by Interbrand was $78.4bn, down 4% on 2014.

In fifth place was business services company IBM, whose value had dropped 10% to $65.1bn.

Toyota flew the flag for the automotive sector in sixth place: its $49bn valuation was 16% up on the previous year.

GE, the conglomerate, was in eighth place, valued at $42.3bn, down 7% on 2014, while restaurant chain McDonald's took ninth spot, its valuation falling 6% to $39.8bn.

All the above had featured in Interbrand's 2014 top ten and the only new entrant this year was online retailing giant Amazon, which came in tenth with a sharply increased valuation of $37.9bn – 29% up on the previous year.

While tech brands dominated the upper reaches of the list, Interbrand also observed a resurgence among traditional and heritage brands as they connected with customers in different ways to remain relevant.

This included "an old favourite" making a first appearance in the top 100: Mini, the auto brand now owned by BMW, appeared in 98th spot with a valuation of $4.2bn.

Other new entrants to the top 100 included toy brand Lego (82nd, $5.4bn), financial services business PayPal (97th, $4.3bn), Champagne brand Moët & Chandon (99th, $4.1bn) and Chinese tech business Lenovo (100th, $4.1bn).

China's representation on the list is increasing, which Interbrand noted was symbolic of the continuing shift in China away from a manufacturing-based economy to the development of innovative local brands.

Data sourced from Interbrand; additional content by Warc staff