The Brandz survey by Millward Brown Optimor reported Apple’s brand worth had increased 84% to $153.3bn, while the total value of the Top 100 brands was $2.4 trillion.

This was higher than the 2008 total suggesting there is “light at the end of the tunnel” of the economic downturn, said Millward Brown’s chief global analyst Nigel Hollis.

Technology firms fared particularly well in the Top 100 ranking, with Apple, Google and IBM holding the top three spots, Facebook debuting in the list and online retailer Amazon overtaking bricks-and-mortar counterpart Walmart.

Hollis said that Apple’s performance in the 2011 survey was “positive proof that investment in innovation, design and branding do pay off”.

There was one new entrant in the list of top ten brands ( 2010 positions are shown in brackets):

1. ( 3 ) Apple – $153,285m

2. ( 1 ) Google – $111,498m

3. ( 2 ) IBM – $100,849m

4. ( 6 ) McDonalds – $81,016m

5. ( 4 ) Microsoft – $78,243m

6. ( 5 ) Coca-Cola – $73,752m

7. (N/A) AT&T – $69,916m

8. ( 7 ) Marlboro – $67,522m

9. ( 8 ) China Mobile – $57,326m

10. ( 9 ) GE $50,318m

Brandz rankings are based on financial data and interviews with more than one million consumers around the world.