Vodafone has emerged as the UKs most valuable brand in the The fourth annual BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking published today by brand research company Millward Brown Optimor.
The company values the Vodafone brand at $53.7 billion (36.4 billion), which in addition to making it the UKs most valuable brand, also makes it the highest-ranked British brand in the listing, 9th place. Google is number one in the ranking for the third year running and is now worth more than $100 billion, followed by Microsoft ($76.2 billion) in second place, and Coca Cola ($67.6 billion), in third.
Tesco and HSBC are the second and third-highest UK brands respectively, with Tesco valued at $22.93 billion and HSBC at $19.07 billion, making them 21st and 30th globally. O2 is the only other mobile firm in the UK top 10, finishing in 4th place (77th globally), with a valuation of $8.6 billion).
The ranking identifies the dollar value of brands, based on the analysis of publicly available financial data, with consumer opinion from BrandZ, the worlds largest brand equity study produced by Millward Brown.
Despite the tough economic environment,t brands are not just retaining but growing their value. The value of the six UK brands in the Top 100 ranking grew by 14% this year, compared to 2 percent growth for the value of all brands in the Top 100  and 11% for the Top10 UK brands.
In the current environment, where the value of many businesses has fallen, brand has become even more important, because it can help to sustain companies in tough times. says Millward Brown Optimor CEO, Joanna Seddon. Those who continue to invest in their brand will be better positioned for business growth as the economic situation starts to improve, than those who have cut spend. 
You can see the complete BrandZ ranking, including regional and category breakdowns, here. The rankings are also available as a free iPhone app from the iTunes store.