First Written on August 08, 2008 Revised and Updated Friday, December 19, 2008 Top 10 Global Brands as per MMG Brands Rankings as at end 2007 We are happy to release of our findings on top 10 global brands. Simultaneously, we have also listed the top 10 Indian, privately held brands. We have just added our rankings of top 10 global media brands. We are unique, think and do things differently. We have no inbuilt bias, phobias, prejudices and favorites. We believe in values, integrity, ethics and in the principles of natural justice. We are not infallible but try to learn from our and others mistakes. A brand may be a local or global giant, big, medium or small. It doesn't matter. What matters is that how it contributes to the society and to improving the quality of life. In that process, if it creates wealth for itself and its stakeholders, it is great. As far as we are concerned that is the bottom line in search of excellence.  We at MMG Brands had carried out our research on top global brands and our rankings of the top 10 global brands are given below. 1 Intel - USA Hitech - Manufacturing - Microprocessors and Semiconductors 2 Microsoft - USA Hitech - OS & Software  3 Google - USA Hitech - Software - Search Engine 4 Toyota - Japan Mass Manufacturing -  Automobiles 5 Proctor & Gamble - USA FMCG Products - Personal Hygiene 6 Johnson & Johnson - USA FMCG Products - Healthcare & Pharma 7 Apple - USA Hitech - Manufacturing & Assembly - Computers, Ipods, IPhones etc.,  8 FedEx - USA Services - Courier & Delivery Services 9 BMW - Germany Mass Manufacturing - Premium Cars. BMW stands for Bremen Motoren Werken AG. In German AG is a short form for Aktigeselschaft, which means a public limited company jut like AB in Swedish stands for Aktibolaget.  10 Nokia - Finland Manufacturing - Telecommunications and Mobile Phones Out of the above top 10 global brands, 7 are from USA, 1 is from Japan, 1 is from Germany and 1 is from Finland.  5 are in hitech manufacturing, 2 in mass manufacturing of Automobiles, 1 in services and 2 in IT software services. This explodes the myth that software and service companies will dominate the top 10.  The above is not based on size alone of the brand or company. They are judged on various parameters, twenty in all including size. In keeping with our policy we do not carryout brand valuations. For such valuations we take the figures as published by Fortune and Interbrands/Businessweek publications. As far as financial performance figures are concerned they are taken from their annual report filings on the net with SEC or published reports in print or other sources.  This is based on our ratings which is a  proprietary methodology. It is based on a holistic view of various factors and the impact above companies have on societies and their contributions to it. Focus, Brand awareness and salience, Quality of Managements, Innovation, Future earning potential and Brand Perceptions played crucial roles in the selection. Past performance does not guarantee the future performance or success. We included top 50 global brands and few reputed brands outside it in our list for research. The one surprise in the above list is Google, which was considered a rank outsider or a dark horse in the beginning to be in the top 10, but results proved otherwise. It has probably the highest Brand Salience amongst all global brands and being considered the most customer friendly. Nokia follows it as a close second on that score. Intel is rated the least customer friendly but despite that it is on top by sheer performance of its products. It can afford it as long as it keeps up with its excellent performance. Microsoft also is not a very popular company with all and not rated very high in customer friendliness. However, the top two brands are very highly respected. The case of BMW made an interesting case study. People who could not afford even ordinary cars wanted them in their dreams. Same was the case with life style brands like Rolex, Omega, Cartier, Tag Heur and Bulgari. They were seen as status symbols. Such brands are really aspirational. Surprisingly, brands like Mercedes, Lexus, Cadillac were not top in the minds of the customers. Most felt that they were meant for the filthy rich. We do not attach too much of importance to temporary setbacks for any company like the stock markets do. In our considered opinion all the above 10 corporate brands will continue to grow in leaps and bounds unless some cataclysmic event occurs. They are all very long term thorough bred race horses with great pedigree. Note: All logos acknowledged to the owners and shown here for information purposes only. These logos are recognized universally and shows the power, position, strength and status of the brands. We at MMG consider the above 10 as the most well known, admired, respected and valued brands in the world. Top Global Brands and Giants like Exxon-Mobil, GE, Coca Cola, PepsiCo, Wal-Mart, HP, GM, Ford, and IBM were considered but did not meet our overall standards of evaluation for reasons we prefer not to mention. They did not make it in the top 10 in our list despite being very large brands or companies, much larger than the brands mentioned above. We did not include a great brand like Disney in our list because many people outside USA and Europe have heard about it but not experienced it. However, we have ranked it in the top 10 media brands. We are talking about Global brands and not American or Local brands. The commons throughout the world must be aware of the brand. This result has proved our saying that 'Biggest is not necessarily the best'. Size is important but not the end all. How people feel and think about a company or brand ultimately matters.  Summary & Conclusion added on August 10, 2008 The above 10 global brands scored very high in gaining the respect of the customers and other people who were not their customers by word of mouth. All people felt that they had benefited either directly or indirectly by their products and/or services. These companies touch millions of lives everyday. These brands know how to handle crisis's and diffuse the situations. They are not high profile and go about doing their jobs quietly and without making much noise. They are all highly innovative. They have mastered the art of positioning themselves strategically in the minds of the customers. Lastly but not the least, they are rated the best in quality and dependability in their respective fields.  Our study reveals the following: Respect is far more important than Fame, if a brand wants to be known as a truly global one. The brands must be squeaky clean. Even uneducated and very poor people on the streets know what is happening in the world, thanks to the presence of various media in local languages. People are willing to forget genuine mistakes but not willing to forgive any deliberate or willful wrong doings. 'What is in it for me' is very important. The brand must touch some emotional chord, be perceived as contributing to the good of the society and improving the quality of life of people all around the globe.  Comments Written by Madhavan Gopalachary Please click here for the Vision Statements of all the above global top 10 brands Please click here for comparisons with IB/BW and Fortune Rankings Indian readers, please click here for our ranking of top 10 Indian privately owned brands Released by MMG Communications for MMG Brands. It is a unit of MMG Consulting offering brand consultancy services. No part of this document can be reproduced without permission and will be considered as a very serious violation. For permissions get in touch with us at ipr@mmgindia.com. All rights reserved. The views, opinions and interpretations are personal. Sponsorship does not mean that the sponsors endorse them. © Copyright, Dec-08 . www.madgopes.com & www.mmgindia.com. Without prejudice. All rights reserved