Louis Vuitton tops the list of 100 Best Global Brands, according to Interbrands annual listing. Interbrand, a major brand consultancy firm announced its results this week. A subsidiary of LVMH, Louis Vuitton was ranked 16th among brands of all category.

Other luxury brands in the top 100 included are Gucci at number 44, Hermes at 69, Tiffany & Co at 76, Cartier at 77, Armani at 95, and Burberry at 100.

The list was made keeping in mind the business a particular brand made, the role it played in influencing buyer's purchase-decision process and the brand's profit making prospects.

Jez Frampton, group chief executive at Interbrand, said year 2010 saw the beginning of economic recovery. The brands faced profound challenge in relating to the customers and demonstrate their relevance and value. They tried tough measures like real-time customer feedback through social media to increased transparency about corporate citizenship.

While automobiles and luxury companies were categorized separately, Mercedes-Benz with an overall ranking of 12 was the top luxury automobile brand. BMW was second at 15th place. Other luxury automakers were Ford at number 50, Volkswagen at 55, Audi at 63 and Porsche at number 72.

Soft drink major Coca-Cola topped the list for the 11th consecutive year, while IBM, Microsoft and Google took the top four slots. Apple remained at number 17.

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