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After an incredible increase in sales, Apple is once again the most valuable brand in the world.
Apple's brand value is $182 billion, an incredible 19 percent increase from last year, according to the list from BrandZ.
BrandZ and Millward Brown Optimor calculated value based on branded earnings and a survey to determine how much of those earnings are generated by the brand's close bond with customers. For companies like Apple, the loyalty of customers is more than a balance sheet could reflect.
Brand value differentiated winners from losers and helped "sustain brands through a challenging year" marred by shaky consumer confidence and financial woes, according to the report.
Top-10 companies also included telecom giants Verizon, Vodafone and AT&T, which formed partnerships and expanded in emerging markets. Google slipped to number three after its Google + feature failed to garner much usage.
#28 Toyota
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Brand value: $21.8 billion
% Change v. 2011: -10%
What happened: Toyota's Prius led hybrid sales, which remained steady this year. Hybrid cars are increasingly important to an anti-consumerist economy. The company suffered supply disruption after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan and flooding in Thailand.
Data calculated by Millward Brown Optimor and BrandZ
#27 Oracle
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Brand value: $22.5 billion
% Change v. 2011: -16%
What happened: Oracle shifted strategies, introducing the Exalytics In-Memory Machine, which is the first in-memory machine that quickly stores company data "as fast as you can type," according to founder Larry Ellison. But they had to compete with SAP's technology.
Data calculated by Millward Brown Optimor and BrandZ
#26 HP
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Brand value: $22.9 billion
% Change v. 2011: -35%
What happened: HP went through a period of uncertainty and getting a new CEO, and struggled to define itself as a leader among businesses. The company simplified its operation and focused on business products and software instead of personal computers, once a staple.
Data calculated by Millward Brown Optimor and BrandZ
See the rest of the story at Business Insider