On the day that Apple announced the release of the iPhone 4S, the tech company also rose to #8 in a rundown of the top 100 brands in the world – an increase of 58% on its 2010 brand value.

The Best Global Brands 2011 report, produced by international brand consultancy Interbrand, is in its 12th year. While soft drinks giant Coca-Cola held onto its #1 spot, tech brands are increasingly dominating the top 100.

As well as Apple’s remarkable growth, seven of the top 10 brands are in the technology sector, while one of the few new entrants is HTC at #98. IBM sits at #2, and UK & Ireland CEO Stephen Leonard spoke at the launch of the report at London’s Hospital Club of the importance for brands not to be defined by any one technology, but to drive innovation in order to be successful.

Only five British brands made it into the top 100, which strikes a warning note for the UK economy – particularly in comparison with the USA, which has 50 entries. But luxury brand Burberry is one of the British success stories: its focus on innovative digital strategy led to its brand value increasing by 20%, one of the risers in the report.

Financial brands are still feeling the effects of the 2008 crisis, according to Interbrand, with the brand values of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley declining – but financial institutions that were less explicitly connected with the crash, such as American Express and European companies like Allianz and Santander, are showing signs of the sector’s gradual recovery.