Top 10 Best Global Brands of 2011 (PHOTOS)

Coca-Cola has retained the top position on a recently released list of the Best Global Brands of 2011.

Companies like IBM, Microsoft, Google, Intel, Apple and HP also appear on the list published by Interbrand.

Interbrand relied on three key indicators -- the financial performance of the branded products or services, the role of the brand in the purchase decision process and the strength of the brand -- to assess the companies.

Check out the complete list of the Top 10 Best Global Brands of 2011.

Experts giving their depositions to a New Zealand court this week believe that Natasha Harris’s habit of drinking over two gallons of Coke every day likely contributed to her death. Harris apparently drank between eight and 10 liters (2.1-2.6 gallons) each day, which likely contributed to her hypokalemia (low potassium).

IBM, which celebrates its 100-year anniversary, is stronger than ever, having evolved its offerings from hardware, to service, to knowledge, and now to innovation. Its brand value is worth $69,905 million.

Microsoft continues to dominate the PC operating system, server software, and office productivity software markets. Its recent acclaim for the Xbox Kinect, the Windows Phone Mango OS, and tablet-ready Windows 8 designs, indicates that Microsoft has all the pieces in place to build a strong consumer business. Its brand value is $59,087 million.

Iran's police chief said that Google is not a search engine, but a spying tool

General Electric is again under attack for paying what the liberal research group Citizens for Tax Justice claims is insufficient taxes. GE claims it paid U.S. corporate income taxes at a rate of 25 percent last year, but according to the group the effective rate was only 11.2 percent.

A master of consistency, quality and consumer responsiveness, McDonald’s drives innovation in the category it dominates — from McCafé, its higher quality coffee, to a healthier Happy Meal, which it plans to roll out in the early fall. Its brand value is $35,593 million.

Intel

Apple is the icon for great branding meeting great technology to deliver a unique overall experience. Apple launched the iPad in 2010 creating the new tablet category in the process. Since its launch, young and old alike have embraced it as a tool, with organizations from education to health to sales coming on board as well. Its brand value is estimated at $33,492 million.

Disney continues to deliver its quality, family-fun experiences through parks, movies, and merchandise. In the year ahead, it has plans to expand on its successful Fantasyland in its Orlando Magic Kingdom park, delivering further on the experience the brand is built upon. Its current brand value is $29,018 million.

HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, software, services, and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. HP is a model for informing and conversing with its customers online through sites such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Its brand value is $28,479 million.