The last 18 months have seen top brands embrace mobile apps, according to new research from Distimo. 91 per cent of the Interbrand top 100 brands now have a presence on at least one app store, compared to 51 per cent 18 months ago. 

The data comes from Distimos monthly report for October – The 2011 Top 100 Global Brands and Their App Store Status. 

The Apple App Store is by far the most populated with apps from top brands, with 86 of Interbrands top 100 having a presence in the App Store. At the other end of the scale, only nine have a presence on the Nokia app store. Amazon is already ahead of Nokia in terms of number of top 100 brands publishing to its app store, despite only launching three months ago. 

Android is fast closing ground on the Apple Store, with 59 per cent of the top brands publishing to the Android Marketplace, and 66 per cent publishing on the iPad. 

Media, business services, and automotive brands are the most prolific app publishers. The average number of apps per top-100 brand is 24. This number is reduced to 15 when Disney and Sony are discounted. 

The top 100 list is headed by Coca-Cola, IBM, Microsoft, Google, and GE. Apple comes in at number eight, while Disney is number nine. The nine brands without a presence on any app store include HSBC, Burberry, and beer brand Corona Extra. 

Distimos report can be downloaded for free in exchange for site registration at the Distimo website.  

To read about Interbrands methodology in ranking the worlds top brands, click here.