World's top 100 brands--are they fact or fiction? Morag Cuddeford Jones discovers whether Interbrand's top 100 brands will make an impact at board level. (News Analysis)

Brand Strategy, August, 2002 by Morag Cuddeford Jones

August sees the release of global consultant Interbrand's annual league table of the world's 100 most valuable brands. With its release comes the sure and certain knowledge that its arrival on the chairman's desk will be met with varying degrees of joy or trepidation from the marketing department.

Overall macroeconomic market conditions have played a significant role in the rise or fall of some brands. The continuing volatility of the technology market has had a large part to play Nokia's fall of 14% isn't representative of any particular failings by the brand to move with the times. The figure represents a general stagnation in the mobile phone market. Consumer goods fared better with Coca-Cola hanging on to first place and gaining one per cent, and Nivea rising by...