Google, eBay and Amazon move up in global brand ranking

Three Internet giants—Google Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and eBay Inc.—all moved up in this year’s ranking of the top 100 global brands by Interbrand, a consulting firm that specializes in branding. In addition to Amazon, nine of the 500 leading U.S. online retailers the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide also made the list.

Google moved up to No. 10 in the global ranking, from 20 last year. EBay rose to 46 from 48 and Amazon was ranked 58 this year, compared with 62 last year.

“Google, Amazon and eBay are all successfully stretching their brands beyond the areas where they have traditionally dominated,” says Maryann Stump, senior director of strategy at Interbrand New York. She says these three companies “will soon cease to be ‘Internet’ companies in much the same way that IBM and Apple have ceased to be ‘computer’ companies.”

One major Internet player dropped in the ranking, however, as Yahoo fell to 65 from 55 last year.

Including Amazon, 10 of the 500 leading U.S. online retailers made the list. They are, with Interbrand ranking followed by rank in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide:

• Disney, 9, 67
• Apple, 24, 7
• Nike, 29, 47
• Dell, 32, 4
• Amazon, 58, 1
• Avon, 69, 31
• Adidas, 70, 302
• Gap, 77, 24
• Panasonic, 78, 160
• Tiffany, 80, 88

The top-rated brand again in this year’s survey was Coca-Cola. IBM leapfrogged Microsoft to rank second, while Microsoft placed third this year.