Apple Rises Into Top 10 on Best Global Brands Ranking

As Apple gets ready to reveal the iPhone 5 today, the brand that Steve Jobs built has broken into the Top 10 of Interbrand's Best Global Brands ranking for the first time. With a brand value that increased a whopping 58%, Apple is now ranked at #8, up from #17 on last year's list, making it the biggest-rising brand this year.

Part of the rationale for Apple's leap: "great branding meeting great technology to deliver a unique overall experience," according to Interbrand's 2011 report. Looking ahead, "Steve Jobs’ recent resignation has the world curious about the impact on this innovative company as it is unclear how much of the brand’s success was due directly to Jobs’ own vision and control, and how much was due to his team—including new CEO, Tim Cook."

Technology brands dominate this year's list, accounting for seven of the top ten brands (besides Apple, there's IBM, Microsoft, Google, GE, Intel, and HP) and four of the five biggest risers. New entrant HTC, the Taiwanese mobile device-maker that recently shifted from B2B to B2C, makes its debut on the list at #98.

Check out the new 2011 report at BestGlobalBrands.com, and watch Interbrand CEO Jez Frampton's 2011 overview below.