Managing Brands in Global Markets: One Size Doesn't Fit All -

"Which global brands are most valuable? According to the 2004 Business Week/Interbrand survey, Coca-Cola tops the list of the 10 most valuable global brands ($67.4 billion), followed by Microsoft ($65 billion), IBM ($53.8 billion), General Electric ($44.1 billion), Intel ($33.5 billion), Disney ($27.1 billion), McDonald's ($25 billion), Nokia ($24 billion), Toyota ($22.7 billion) and Marlboro ($22.1 billion).

These brands and others share some common features: They have a consistent name that is easy to pronounce; corporate sales are globally balanced with no dominant market; the essence and positioning of the brand is the same the world over; they address the same customer needs, or the same target segment, in every market; and there is great similarity in execution (pricing, packaging, advertising) across cultures."