(September 17, 2010) NEW YORK — Ten automotive manufacturers finished among the world's top 100 brands according to the 11th annual ranking of the "Best Global Brands" ranked by Interbrand, a company formed in 1974 to create and manage brand value.

Despite its recall problems in 2010, Toyota finished 11th to lead all automotive companies. Coca-Cola finished first for the 11th straight year. Other companies ranked in the top five were IBM (#2), Microsoft (#3), Google (#4), and GE (#5).

Although the Toyota problems over the past year caused the brand to lose 16% of its brand value dropping it from eigth to 11th, its long-standing reputation for reliability, efficiency and innovation helped it weather the crisis better than expected.

During a difficult year for the auto industry, Mercedes Benz (#12) and BMW (#15) were able to sustain and build their value through innovative design and a focus on delivering premium value vehicles with luxury features, according to an Interbrand press release.

Using customer feedback, largely drawn from YouTube, Flickr, Twitter and Facebook to launch the 2009 Fiesta, Ford (#50) stands out as one of the best examples of how to use social media. Award-winning products like the Q5 and rich heritage help Audi (#63) lead industry growth this year with a 9 percent increase in its brand value.

Other automakers in the top 100 are Honda (#20), Volkswagen (#53), Hyundai (#65), Porsche (#72) and Ferrari (#91).

“From real-time customer feedback through social media to increased transparency about corporate citizenship, brands were faced with a profound change in the way they relate to customers and demonstrate their relevance and value,” said Jez Frampton, group chief executive at Interbrand. “Despite this new paradigm of brand management, the advantages of building a solid brand remain.”

Interbrand’s Brand Strength Score, which is comprised of 10 components, all of which have an important and equal role in the brand’s ability to generate value, is an effort to recalibrate the focus. It brings together all aspects of a brand — its people, products, positioning and partners — to create a more holistic and accurate way of understanding and evaluating brands.