Thomson Reuters improves global brand ranking

The list compiled by Interbrand consultancy and published by BusinessWeek magazine gave Thomson Reuters a brand value of $8.434 billion compared with $8.313 billion a year ago.

To figure in the list a brand must derive at least a third of its earnings from outside its home country, be recognisable beyond its base of customers, and have publicly available marketing and financial data. Interbrand ranks each brand on the basis of how much it is likely to earn for the company in the future. It uses analysts' projections, company financial documents, and qualitative and quantitative analysis to arrive at a net present value of those earnings. Market leadership, stability, and global reach - the ability to cross geographic and cultural borders - are taken into account. The brand values are based on data collected during the 12 months to 30 June 2009.

The top three brands in the list are Coca-Cola, IBM and Microsoft. ■