Search engine giant Google has taken the lead as the world’s most powerful brand with an estimated value of $86 billion (£43 billion), according to new research from WPP-owned research company Millward Brown.

Google was named number one in Millward Brown’s annual top 100 global brand power list for the second year in a row with a 30 per cent year-on-year increase in its value.

Last week, Google posted a 31 per cent surge in quarterly net income and said it is well positioned for growth even if the economy weakens further.

The search engine giant saw its net income climb from $1 billion (£500.9 million) in the three months ended 31 March 2007 to $1.31 billion (£654.7 million) in the three months ended 31 March this year.

General Electric (GE) took the second spot in the brand survey, worth $71,379, while technology giant Microsoft came off in third with a value of $70, 887. Cocoa-Cola remains in the top ten with a value of $58,208, ranked fourth, and China Mobile scrapped into the fifth spot with a value of $57,225.

The top five remained unchanged year-on-year, with each company recording an increase in brand valuation by between 15 per cent and 39 per cent compared with 2007. IBM’s brand value increased by 65 per cent year-on-year to $55.3m, moving the technology company up three places in the BrandZ list to sixth spot.

Apple was the biggest mover in the top 10, and a new entry, moving up nine places to rank seventh, with a massive 123 per cent increase in brand value to $55.2 million, helped by the launch of the iPhone and iTouch devices.

Vanessa Arellano Doctor