Interbrand has published its Best Global Brands rankings for 2014 and the top 10 is dominated by tech companies.

As well as Apple in the top spot and Google close behind in second, IBM is in fourth place while Microsoft and Samsung occupy fifth and seventh place respectively.

Interbrand's ranking is based on three criteria -- the financial performance of the branded product or service; how that brand influences consumer choice; and how able the brand is to demand a premium price.

It's an approach that's open to accusations of subjectivity so as part of its methodology, Interbrand's findings are independently certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Until 2012, Coca-Cola essentially owned the top spot when Apple usurped it. And in 2014, thanks to Google's performance, the soft drinks maker is now down in third, despite the huge success of its latest marketing campaign that placed people's names on cans and bottles.

"Apple and Google's meteoric rise to more than USD $100 billion is truly a testament to the power of brand building," said Jez Frampton, Interbrand's Global Chief Executive Officer. These leading brands have reached new pinnacles -- in terms of both their growth and in the history of Best Global Brands -- by creating experiences that are seamless, contextually relevant, and increasingly based around an overarching ecosystem of integrated products and services, both physical and digital."

This year's rankings also see huge gains for Facebook (29th place) and Amazon (15th place) while also marking the first time that a Chinese brand, Huawei, made it onto the list, albeit in 94th place.

Car companies were also big performers on this year's chart. Land Rover made the cut for the first time in history, driving into 91st place thanks to its industry-defining Range Rover-branded SUVs, but the car maker to beat this year was Toyota in eighth place ahead of Mercedes-Benz in 10th and BMW in 11th place.

The Interbrand top 10

  1. Apple
  2. Google
  3. Coca-Cola
  4. IBM
  5. Microsoft
  6. GE
  7. Samsung
  8. Toyota
  9. McDonald's
  10. Mercedes-Benz