Apple Knocked Google Out of Top Brands Position.

According to the 10th Anniversary Edition of Brandz Top 100, Technology and retail each increased 24% in Brand Value, leading all categories. Many brands contributed to the technology brand value rise. The retail result reflects the inclusion of one brand, China’s Alibaba. Without Alibaba, retail grew only 2 percent.

With a 67% rise in Brand Value to $247 billion, Apple returned to number one in the BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking. Success of the iPhone 6 and the related excitement surrounding the Apple brand drove the increase. Apple also led in the rate of brand value growth over 10 years – 1,446 percent, while Google only increased by 9% to $174 billion.

After Apple introduced its iPhone 6, the brand reported quarterly earnings of over$18 billion, the highest corporate quarterly profit in history for a public company, which quieted most critics who had questioned the sustained brand power of Apple.

Apple and Google have been jockeying for No1 in recent years, with Apple holding the top spot in 2012 and 2013 respectively before Google took No1 last year. While the Apple Watch has been in the news lately, it was the iPhone 6 that drove Apple's growth this year.